Vacancy announcement in line with constitution: Minister Pandit (With Video)

“The demand was made by the local units, the ministry sent the demand letter to the PSC as it is and the PSC published the vacancy advertisement in line with the constitution. Thus, the PSC will take a decision on it. The PSC should respond to the issue of inclusiveness and the State Affairs Committee should be responsible for the decision.”

The vacancy announcement for recruiting civil servants at various local units is not against the spirit of the federal constitution, said Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Lal Babu Pandit.

Minister Pandit’s remarks come after the State Affairs Committee of the parliament on Monday directed the government and the Public Service Commission (PSC) cancel the announced vacancies published on May 29 for the recruitment of 9,161 staffers at various positions in 515 local governments concluding that the announcement was against the spirit of constitution and the principles of inclusive representation of all communities and genders in the local bodies.

“The recruitment process is not against the constitution and the Act,” said Minister Pandit, during a television interview ‘Janata Janna Chahanchan’.

“The Federal Civil Servants Act is still under consideration at the Parliamentary State Affairs and Good Governance Committee. The parliament, after holding a rigorous discussion in the committee, approved the Civil Servants Adjustment Act—which states that after the adjustment process, the vacant positions, if demanded by the local and provincial bodies, will be sent to Federal PSC through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration without any modification until the formation of Provincial Public Service Commission,” he said.

“Since the PSC cannot announce the vacancy based on the under-consideration Act, the constitutional body has to announce the vacancy as per the operating Act.”

“The federal PSC, as sent by the government, announced the vacancy in line with the constitution.”

“The recruitment process was initiated as per the joint demands from the local bodies without making any changes.”

He, however, said that since the ministry is only a “mediator” in the announcement of the vacancy, “the PSC will make the official response toward the direction of the State Affairs Committee”.

When asked will the vacancy announcement will be canceled, he said, “The demand was made by the local units, the ministry sent the demand letter to the PSC as it is and the PSC published the vacancy advertisement in line with the constitution. Thus, the PSC will take a decision on it.”

“The ministry will make public its official decision after studying the Committee’s direction.”

“The PSC should respond to the issue of inclusiveness and the State Affairs Committee should be responsible for the decision.”

The lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties and Province 2 government have said that the PSC vacancy announcement breaches the rights of the provincial PSCs to recruit staffers at local units.

“Yes, the constitution states, the provincial PSCs will fill the civil servants in the local and provincial units. Until the provincial PSCs are formed, the federal PSC will announce vacancy advertisement as per the demands of local and provincial units.”

“Where is Provincial PSCs? Does the central government forms PSCs in provinces?”

“The province governments have no obstacles in forming the PSCs.”

“Tell me, which province has said they have formed PSC and demanded staffs?”

About 100,000 applicants have registered their application in response to the vacancy announcement.

Minister Pandit also said that the civil servants who are reluctant to go to the assigned stations will be taken action.

“The ministry has begun taking action against the civil servants who and undisciplined and refuse to go to the assigned stations,” he said.

“Almost 95 percent of the valid employees’ complaints have been addressed. The rest will be addressed within a week.”