KATHMANDU: Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit has pledged to take action against civil servants who are unwilling to report to their assigned duty stations.

Speaking to THT Online, Minister Pandit said that the provision for 'golden-handshake' or voluntary retirement is only for those civil-service officials who are physically incapable of moving to newer stations owing to their health/physical condition. "It will be made sure that other officials who got into civil services to serve the nation, will serve the nation unconditionally" added Pandit.

"The civil servants will report to their newly assigned provincial and local level workstations within the prescribed deadline, failing to do which, they will be removed from their services," the minister further said.

On past promises

Minister Pandit was very popular for his actions during his last stint as the General Administration Minister in the Sushil Koirala led government in 2014.

His recent but short lived tenure as the Population and Environment Minister had also generated some hype, especially after he fined some big hotels for not adhering to environment protection rules. Pandit had also publicly claimed that Kathmandu would be mask-free in a year's time.

However, with the recent expansion of the Cabinet, Pandit was moved to the Federal Affairs and General Administration Ministry.

THT Online asked Minister Pandit what would become of those commitments and the steps that had already been taken in direction of addressing environmental issues, to which he responded that the government will fulfill those promises.

"The commitments will be executed by the concerned ministries, the government will definitely implement the announced plans and deliver on our promises," added Pandit.