Apropos of the editorial “Right move” (THT, July 15, Page 8), thanks to general Administration Minister Lal Babu Pandit’s tireless effort, the state now has the fourth amendment to the Civil Service Act that gives a choice to our civil servants–either work with the government of Nepal or become full-time residents of foreign nations of their liking. It is a fair proposition that would curb the civil servants’ innate greed of enjoying the best of both worlds, vacating many a position for unemployed youth. Our civil servants, if they are men enough, should live by the honourable precept of ‘you’re either with us, or against us’. They must prove their unconditional loyalty to their foreign benefactors. At the same time, it would be good if Lal Babu can also bar our servants in the government offices, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, banks and other corporations from working as part-time consultants, entrepreneurs and directors in private businesses; ‘helmet’ teachers, doctors, insurance agents, vendors etc. In short, no public servant should be allowed to hold two jobs. We can learn more on this from the Indian Public Service Commission. Here, I would like to remember my former expatriate boss who used to warn us every three months against not only working for or running business that will conflict with his, but also other petty engagements that will dilute our mind and dissipate our energy. He stopped short of telling us:your mind, time and life belong to me.

J. Talchabhadell, Bhaktapur

Right initiative

While presenting the annual budget for the fiscal year 2015/16, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat has proposed encouraging big buses having 40 seats or more to ply on the major highways and major thoroughfares of the city areas. He has also proposed levying only 5 per cent customs duty on such buses. Officials at the Department of Transport and Traffic Police had long been calling for banning micro-buses and mini-buses from plying on the major and long-route highways. Statistics show that most of the micro-buses and mini-buses have met with accidents due to over-speeding and careless driving. The Traffic Police have often complained that the micro-buses, which have been used as publictransport, cause traffic jams in the city areas. Mahat has proposed allowing them to ply only on the narrow and inner city areas where bigger buses cannot ply. The Parliamentary State Affairs Committee had also asked the government to discourage using micro-buses as public transport as they cannot accommodate a large number of passengers, and they are uncomfortable to travel in while standing. During discussions at the SAC many lawmakers had said then that the micro-buses were allowed to be used as public transport vehicles as a result of policy level corruption that only benefitted the suppliers. Nowhere in the world are micro-buses allowed to be used as means of public transport.

Ramesh Khadka, Butwal