PM,MADESHBADI FRONT MEET

PM, MADESHBADI FRONT MEET

Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has convened a meeting of his troubled coalition with the front of the Madeshbadi
parties in his government Saturday.
The front is dissatisfied with the prime minister for what has been called non-implementation of a four-point agreement by UCPN (Maoist)
leading the government.
The premier is vice-chairman of the party.
The agreement lists demands by the terai parties to address regional
demands like mass integration of 10,000 Madeshis in Nepal Army and distribution of citizenship certificates.
The demands are opposed by a hard-line group in the party leading the government
Mass integration of any group, including Maoists in the state army, is
a tickling issue to which Bhattarai government agreed to secure
leadership of government and is now finding difficult to implement.
The front has accused Bhattarai of procrastination.
The Madeshbadi parties have even threaten to withdraw from
government amid charges from the front Bhattarai is bypassing it to form another government of national understanding without discussion in
the ruling coalition parties.
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GOVT. TO REVIEW SECURITY FOR VIPs, VVIPs
Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: The Ministry of Home Affairs, at a meeting held on Friday, decided to review the security arrangements made for VIPs and VVIPs on the basis of security threats, Shreejana Shrestha writes in .Republica.

“Today´s meeting decided to review the security arrangements provided to VVIPs and VIPs on the basis of security threats,” said an official at the ministry.

The official, who attended the meeting, said the meeting was not about the number of PSOs assigned to ministers alone.

“The meeting was not just about the number PSOs provided to ministers,” a reliable source told Republica, adding, “We will review all security arrangements made for VVIPs and VIPs after conducting a study.”

Representatives from the Home Ministry, the Nepal Police, Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force as well as security officers were present at the meeting.

As per the ministry´s decision, the security status of the incumbent president, vice-president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, ministers, state ministers and former prime ministers and ex-ministers will be reviewed. At present, the Home Ministry provides up to two PSOs or bodyguards or both to the ministers, except for the home minister.

The Home Ministry, which has powers to decide the security cover for all VIPs and VVIPs on the basis of the security threats obtaining, has floated recommendations to the Central Security Committee under the ministry. The committee will finalize the number of PSOs and other security arrangements in a few days.

Today´s meeting was called following a ´threat analysis meeting´ held at the Home Ministry a few days ago.

Prior to this, the State Affairs Committee (SAC) of parliament had issued a directive to the government to take the necessary decisions with regard to providing security to VIPs and to review the existing security strategy and plan of action as and when needed.



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MoGA REJECTS STAFF STANSFER ORDER

Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: The Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) has rejected decisions taken by some six incumbent ministers to transfer government employees in contravention of instructions issued by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and provisions enshrined in the Civil Service Act, Bimal Gautam writes in Republica.

The CIAA had recently issued a warning through the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and MoGA to all ministers and ministries not to transfer civil servants in contravention of provisions in the Civil Service Act.

The Act doesn´t allow ministries to transfer government staff except during the months of Magh and Falgun (between mid-January and mid-March) every year. Ministries can transfer only civil servants who have been in a particular posting for more than two years.

Even after the CIAA´s warning not to transfer civil servants in contravention of the law, various ministers have been continuing with such transfers.

According to a source at MoGA, about six incumbent ministers took decisions to transfer government staff even after the CIAA warnings. The source said Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hridayesh Tripathi, Local Development Minister Top Bahadur Rayamaghi, Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Mohammad Wakil Musalman, Industry Minister Anil Jha and Health Minister Rajendra Mahato, among others, decided to transfer government staff, overriding CIAA instructions and legal provisions.

"They first decided to make the transfers and then sought our approval for their decisions," said the MoGA source, adding, "We flatly rejected their proposals, citing CIAA instructions and the Civil Service Act."

According to the source, the number of transferred government employees has now reached 445.

The ministers had transferred 200 plus civil servants before the CIAA intervention and took decisions to transfer another 200 plus even after that. MoGA, the ministry that has exclusive powers to approve or reject transfer decisions, had earlier given its nod to the decisions to transfer 200 plus employees.

"We, however, shelved demands for another 200 plus transfers made by some ministers," the source told Republica.

PM sought CIAA intervention

Meanwhile, a knowledgeable source told Republica that Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattaria had sought CIAA intervention over the ministers´ reckless trend of transferring government employees despite his repeated commitments to the contrary.

"The PM is absolutely satisfied with the CIAA intervention against transfer of government employees by his cabinet ministers," said the source, adding, "Indeed, he wanted CIAA intervention against ministerial decisions to transfer government staff. He was seeking such support from institutions like the CIAA and is now happy with the CIAA move."
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