Kathmandu, February 16
The National Vigilance Centre has written to higher level agencies to take disciplinary action against 1,690 civil servants who were found to be violating dress code and indulging in absenteeism during surprise inspection and monitoring in the fiscal 2021-22.
According to the annual report (2021-22) of the anti-corruption watchdog recently submitted to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, some civil servants continued to breach the existing legal provisions they are required to comply with compulsorily. The concerned body of government employees have been told to initiate action against unruly civil servants in as per the Civil Service Act, 1993. Similarly, other staffers also have to be booked as per the act or regulation related to employee management.
According to Section 55(A) of the act, if any civil servant is not punctual or becomes reckless, the supervisor concerned may warn the employee and maintain records in the sheet roll/ personal details file of the employee concerned.
Several civil servants and other staffers were also found absent during duty hours without leave and violating the dress code during surprise monitoring and inspection carried out by the NVC in various government offices. As many as 1,391 employees were found absent from their respective offices, while 299 had not donned the prescribed uniform during office hours. The monitoring and inspection were conducted in 297 offices.
The NVC also carries out regular follow-up to check whether or not the offices take action against erring civil servants.
The number of unruly and indisciplined civil servants is just the tip of the iceberg.
The NVC, which is under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, is mandated to establish good governance and control corruption.
It may be noted that the government provides Rs 9,000 per annum to each civil servant as uniform allowance.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 17, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
