Kathmandu, November 11:

While over 500 women development officers (WDOs) are waiting a decision from the House of Representatives to regularise their posting, the government has recently sought applications for the post of temporary non-gazetted officers in Women Development Offices.

The appointment of women who have worked for more than two decades as temporary employees in the 75 districts, including women development officers, chief women workers, women workers, supervisors and peons, who were recruited according to the procedures of the Public Service Commission, have yet to be regularised.

A WDO Meena Kattel said, “The government has once again sought applications to recruit temporary employees and has ignored our demand to regularise all those working in the field for at least for five years. This will further deepen the problem.”

Kattel said the government should have first solved the issues of WDOs and then hire employees under new procedures.

Sushil Ghimire, spoke-sperson of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, said applications have been sought to hire employees in the districts which have big scale programmes and few staffers. “The recruitment would not complicate the issue because only those who have worked for more than five years are eligible to be permanent,” he said.