KATHMANDU, AUGUST 11
Minister of Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand has clarified that government employees' evaluation will be carried out on the basis on their performance and merit rather than recommendations.
At an event organised at the Ministry of Home Affairs here today to welcome the new secretary at the MoHA and to bid farewell to the erstwhile home secretary, Minister Khand assured employees would be entrusted with responsibilities on the basis on their competence.
Tek Narayan Pandey was welcomed to the ministry as its secretary while Maheshwor Neupane was bid farewell at the event.
During the event, Minister Khand warned, "If there is any recommendations while allocating roles and responsibilities, the result will be counterproductive.
Sometimes one could get unexpected role and responsibilities as well."
Asserting that there will not be any compromise on national security, the minister instructed all the employees in the line agencies to discharge their respective duties.
Urging staffers at the ministry to work in an innovative style rather than carrying out their day-to-day official duties in a traditional manner, Khand cautioned the staffers to remain aware and alert about the possible third wave of COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health and Population recently had predicted the possibility of outbreak of the third wave towards the beginning of October.
He was worried that hospitals could run short of spaces to treat COVID-19 patients during the third wave. Hence, the minister urged all the staffers at the ministry to take necessary precautions against the pandemic.
Similarly, Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey pledged to work in a result-oriented manner and to take forward the action-plan to respond to COVID-19 as per the common minimum programme introduced by the incumbent coalition government.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to heighten the glory of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"The home ministry's Administration is a leading organisation among public service.
It should be transformed and modernised."
Likewise, Maheshwor Neupane, who has been transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers after serving the MoHA for 18 months and six days, claimed that the ministry had completed a great deal of important tasks amid the challenging time.
He lauded the role of the chief district officers in all 77 districts in responding to COVID-19 to the best of their capacities as well as handling various protests and demonstrations.
The outgoing home secretary underlined the need to boost the morale of security personnel in the bordering areas with India and China, motivating police personnel in the lower rungs and increasing the compensation amount to disaster-hit people.
He also emphasised granting autonomy to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 12 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
