Kathmandu, June 7

The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the Parliament could not take a decision on Federal Public Service Commission’s recent vacancy announcement, as the Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit remained absent in the meeting called by the panel.

The committee will sit for another meeting on Monday. Chair of the panel Shashi  Shrestha called a meeting in the morning to hear the ministry’s views on recruiting 9,161 civil servants for 515 local levels through the FPSC.

But Minister Pandit did not show up. The panel called a meeting in the evening too, but again Minister Pandit remained absent.

FPSC’s vacancy announcement on May 29 has drawn flak from lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties.

They have criticised the FPSC’s decision saying that the announcement is not in line with proportional inclusive and participatory principles of the constitution.

Article 283 of the constitution states that appointments to offices of constitutional organs and bodies shall be made in accordance with the inclusive principle.

The panel has decided to give a last chance to Minister Pandit to appear in the meeting on Monday. During the meeting, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) lawmakers Janardan Sharma, Navaraj Silwal and Bijay Bubba said that the panel should at least hear Minister Pandit’s views regarding the vacancy announcement before taking the final call. Nepali Congress lawmakers Dilendra Badu, Dila Sangraula and Amresh Kumar Singh, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal lawmaker Rajendra Mahato and Samajwadi Party-Nepal lawmaker Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav requested the chair to take a decision as per the provisions in the constitution and parliamentary regulations. But the chair decided to wait for a few more days.

Article 293 of the constitution states that the chiefs and officials of the constitutional bodies must be accountable and responsible to the federal Parliament.

“The committees of the House of Representatives may monitor and evaluate the functioning, including reports, of the constitutional bodies, other than the National Human Rights Commission, and give necessary direction or suggestions,” article 293 reads.

According to Chair Shrestha, Pandit had told her on Wednesday that he would be busy till Saturday and had not responded to her calls and messages since Thursday.

“If he will not appear in the meeting on Monday, the panel will issue a direction criticising the minister and the government too,” said a panel member.

During the meeting, the lawmakers had heavily criticised the minister for ignoring it.