KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) scrapped the recent controversial reshuffling of more than 900 staffers under the Ministry of Health.

Scrapping the recent decision of Health Minister Umakanta Chaudhari to transfer the staffers, the anti-graft body today said the action had violated the law and bureaucratic norms.

The CIAA also directed the ministry to correct its mistake. CIAA’s intervention follows complaints against the transfer filed by plaintiffs immediately after the transfer decision. Acting on the complaints, the constitutional anti-graft body had seized the file from the ministry and launched a probe.

“We found that the minister has violated all norms related to the transfer of staffers,” Lalit Bahadur Limbu, Acting Chief Commissioner, CIAA, told The Himalayan Times. Interestingly, the minister transferred junior staffers, an action which an under secretary is authorised to do.

“He even transferred junior staffers such as kharidars and mukhiyas (non-gazetted second and third class employees). We found rampant irregularities in the process,” Limbu added.