Over 70,000 civil servants have expressed their readiness to serve provincial and local governments so far, one day before the deadline set by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to apply for their adjustment expires. Officials say the number could go higher.

Dinesh Thapaliya, secretary at the ministry, said more than 73,000 civil servants are expected to apply for the adjustment process by the Wednesday deadline.

The ministry had notified all interested civil servants to apply within 21 days for adjustment in the central administration, seven provincial governments and 753 local federal units.

Up to 88 percent public staff will be adjusted in the new offer even as various civil servants’ unions launched stern protests against the Civil Servants Adjustment Ordinance and its provisions.

After several rounds of negotiations, the government and agitating civil servants reached an agreement that public servants adjusted at the provincial and local levels would be able to rejoin federal agencies through promotion. “We’ll start opening their files from Thursday. It will take another 10 days to clear the adjustment roster. As the secretary, I will have to sign 100,000 dispatch letters to the civil servants chosen for adjustment,” said Thapaliya.

He added that the government would not extend the application deadline. After the protests by civil servants, the government has offered them one level promotion and pay grade increments. “We’ll offer them more facilities in future and more laws and Acts will be enacted to support them,” he added.