Miscellaneous
Some 3,000 officials required for provincial secretariats
As work begins for installing provincial governments, an estimated 3,000 officials will be required immediately to run the secretariats in the seven provinces.Binod Ghimire
As work begins for installing provincial governments, an estimated 3,000 officials will be required immediately to run the secretariats in the seven provinces.
A detailed plan tabled by the Ministry of General Administration in the Cabinet two months ago recommends a secretary to lead the bureaucracy in a state. Each province will have seven ministries attended by joint-secretaries while there will be an official of the same rank in the governor’s secretariat.
A governor is the ceremonial head of the province with primary responsibilities of calling the session of provincial assemblies and administering the oath to the chief minister and ministers. Government officials are required at the secretariats of the chief minister and governors, in the ministries, provincial assemblies and their secretariat, among others.
“We need a maximum of 3,000 officials in the first phase if there are seven ministries,” said Shiva Ram Neupane, spokesperson for the ministry.
“The number might change with a change in the number of ministries.”
Neupane said the delay by the Cabinet in approving the plan has created problems in selecting staff for deputation. There has been a general understanding that the five regional administrators will be deputed as the chiefs of bureaucracy in the five provinces while the government will send two more secretaries to the additional provinces.
Most probably, Rajeshwor Man Singh, Rasmi Raj Pandey, Laxman Aryal, Suresh Pradhan, Laxmi Ram Poudel and Baikuntha Aryal will be deputed as chief administrative secretaries in six provinces while one more of secretary will be chosen for the seventh province.
According to Neupane, ministries have been notified to select officials for deputation as soon as the Cabinet takes a decision. The Cabinet is likely to decide the number of ministries in the provinces while announcing the temporary headquarters of the provinces and appointing their governors. The constitution stipulates that the size of the Cabinet must not exceed 20 percent of the total number of lawmakers in the respective province.
At 110, Province 3 has the highest number of representatives while Provice-6 has the lowest with 40 people’s representatives.