- Ministry of General Administration seeks details of civil servants who didn't return after government-sponsored overseas study or training.
- Civil servants must return and serve for three years as per Civil Service Act.
- About two dozen cases identified; action includes fines and charges for misuse of public position.
- Ministry regularly requests lists from concerned ministries for absent officials and subsequent actions.
- Exact number of absent civil servants yet to be finalized.
KATHMANDU, Aug 1: The Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) has asked all the ministries to provide details of civil servants who went abroad for study, training or visit purpose under government quota but didn't return to the country to resume their job.
The ministry has also asked all the ministries to find such employees and take departmental action for not abiding by the laws and their commitment.
Officials at the MoGA said that they have so far received details of around two dozen of civil servants who didn't return to the country even after completing the leave given to them for study, training, and other purpose.
“As per the Civil Service Act, any civil servant after completing their study period must return to the country and serve at least for three years in the country,” Pradeep Koirala, joint-secretary at the MoGA, told Republica. “But, we have found many civil servants not resuming their office even after completing their study or training period.”
According to him, the concerned ministry takes various types of departmental actions depending on the nature of individual cases.
“Sometimes, we also fine the civil servants with the amount worth the government invests for their travel and study expenses and in some cases we charge them for misusing their public position,” he said.
He also said it is their regular work to ask the concerned ministries to provide the list of their long-time absent officials and to punish them for misusing the government facilities.
“We have been asking the concerned ministries since many years for the list. The concerned ministries are responsible for taking action,” he informed.
“So far we have received the list of 25 civil servants who misused the facilities given to them,” he added.
However, spokeswoman and joint-secretary of MoGA Nita Pokharel said that ministry has not received the final number of the civil servants who were absent even after completing their abroad stay for the purpose approved by their office.
“We are demanding the list from the concerned ministries but we haven't received the final data yet,” she said.