A civil servant may be sent to another place on deputation for a period not exceeding three months within a year

Kathmandu, April 13

It has been learnt that the Ministry of Home Affairs sent as many as 45 civil servants of various classes on deputation to ‘lucrative offices’ without seeking the consent of the Ministry of General Administration in 2072 BS (2015/16).

According to the 53rd annual report of the Office of the Auditor General, a civil servant may be sent on deputation to another place from a ministry, secretariat, commission, department or office only on the business of the concerned body and such deputation should not be made for a period exceeding three months a year.

But the MoHA sent 41 employees on deputation without seeking permission from the MoGA, while 10 other employees were deputed for a period of more than a year in contravention of the Civil Service Act, 1993.

Similarly, 26 employees were collectively paid Rs 7.2 million by sending them on deputation to the Immigration Office, Kathmandu, while 47 employees of the office sent on deputation to other places were provided a total of Rs 13.7 million in remuneration and allowances.

The OAG report has suggested to the government to control the tendency of sending civil servants on deputation unless necessary. However, employees may be sent on deputation for training and symposium for a period of more than three months.

If any civil employee is sent on deputation in contravention of the existing laws, the salary, allowances and perks received by that employee during that period will be recovered from the deputing office-bearer as government dues, and departmental action shall be taken against such office-bearer.

Recently, the MoGA had written to all ministries, secretariats, commissions, departments and central agencies to recall all employees sent on deputation for a period exceeding three months.

An official at the MoGA said all civil servants sent on deputation were recalled to their previous ministries, secretariats, commissions, departments and offices before January.

“The MoGA is keeping close tabs on offices to deter the tendency of sending employees on deputation to ‘lucrative’ offices,” he informed.