प्रदेशका ११ औँ तहका कर्मचारी थन्क्याएर संघका सचिवहरुसँग मन्त्रीहरुको मन्त्रालयपिच्छे द्वन्द्व

विराटनगर । गएको सोमबार कोशी प्रदेश सरकारका आन्तरिक मामिला तथा कानुन मन्त्री इन्द्रमणि पराजुली र सचिव आसमान तामाङका बीच मन्त्रीको कार्यकक्षमै विवाद भयो । बजेट निर्माणको प्रक्रिया चलिरहेको बेला सचिव तामाङले ‘आलु कुरा’ भनेपछि मन्त्री र सचिव मुखामुख भए ।

मन्त्रालय स्रोतका अनुसार मन्त्री र सचिवबीच खटपट भएको लामै समय भएको थियो । तर पत्रकारकै अगाडि उनीहरू बीचको भएको खटपट सतहमा प्रकट भने भएको थिएन । सचिवले ‘आलु कुरा’ भनेपछि मन्त्री पराजुलीले पनि सचिवप्रति असन्तुष्टि व्यक्त गरे । मन्त्री पराजुलीले ‘हाम्रो देशमा सरकार र मन्त्रीभन्दा कर्मचारी बलिया छन्,’ भन्ने जवाफ दिए । मन्त्री पराजुलीको भनाइ भूइँमा झर्न नपाउँदै सचिव आक्रोशित हुँदै बोले, ‘हो त, त्यही हो, यो ट्रान्जिसनल फेजमा यस्तै हुन्छ, सरकार भरे हो कि भोलि हो, कहिले हो भन्ने चर्चा चलिरहेको बेला अरू के हुन्छ ? यस्तै हुन्छ ।’

सचिव तामाङको आक्रोश यतिमा मात्र सीमित रहेन । उनले मन्त्रीकै अगाडि वर्तमान सरकारको आयुमाथि प्रश्न उठाउँदै ‘यो ट्रान्जेक्सनको बेलामा कहाँ काम हुन्छ, प्रदेश नै खारेज गर्ने कुरा छ, कार्यक्रम भन्दै बाहिरिए ।

सचिव बाहिरिँदै गर्दा मन्त्री पराजुलीले पनि सचिवलाई भोलिदेखि नआउनु भने । मन्त्रीले नआउनु भने पनि मङ्गलबार बिहानै मन्त्रालय पुगे । मन्त्रालय पुगेका सचिवले कर्मचारीलाई आफू नआई कुनै पनि आर्थिक काम अगाडि नबढाउनु भन्ने निर्देशन दिए । त्यसपछि काठमाडौँ हिँडेका सचिव तामाङ बजेट निर्माणको प्रक्रिया चलिरँदा मन्त्रालय फकिएका छैनन् । उनी मन्त्रालय आउने नआउने टुङ्गो छैन ।

प्रदेश सरकारका मन्त्री र सचिवको विवाद भएको र कुरा नमिलेको यो पहिलो घटना भने होइन । प्रदेशका सामाजिक, स्वास्थ्य र उद्योग कृषि तथा सहकारी मन्त्रालयमा पनि कर्मचारी र मन्त्रीको कुरा मिलेको छैन । सार्वजनिक रूपमा मन्त्री र सचिवले मुख नचलाए पनि उनीहरूबीच सौहार्दपूर्ण वातावरण छैन । मन्त्रीहरूले सचिवले असहयोग गरेको बताउँदै आएका छन् भने सचिवहरू मन्त्रीहरूले अनावश्यक दबाब दिएको बताउँदै आएका छन् । मन्त्री र सचिवको कुरा नमिल्दा कर्मचारी भने समस्यामा परेका छन् ।

कोशी प्रदेश सरकारको स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रालय, उद्योग कृषि तथा सहकारी मन्त्रालय र सामाजिक विकास मन्त्रालयमा सचिव र मन्त्रीको कुरा नमिल्दा बजेट कार्यान्वयनमा समस्या उत्पन्न भएको छ । कोशी प्रदेश सरकारको स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रालयको जिम्मेवारी मानबहादुर लिम्बुले सम्हालेका छन् । उनी मन्त्री नियुक्त भएकै दिनबाट सचिव डा. यदुचन्द्र घिमिरेसँग कुरा मिलेको छैन ।

मन्त्री र सचिवका बीचमा कुरा नमिल्दा प्रशासनिक काम कारबाही अगाडि बढाउन समस्या भएको छ । मन्त्रीले भनेको काम समय नगरी दिएको भन्दै लिम्बु सार्वजनिक स्थलमै सचिवको आलोचना गर्दै हिँडेका छन् । सचिव विष्ट भने मन्त्रीले कामको प्रक्रिया र प्रकृति नै नजानेकाले अनावश्यक दबाब आउने गरेको बताउँछन् । कर्मचारीका अनुसार मन्त्री लिम्बु आफैँले मन्त्रालयको ठेक्का पट्टा र सप्लायर्स कम्पनीसँग डिल गर्न थालेपछि सचिव मन्त्रीको सम्बन्ध बिग्रिएको हो ।

यस्तै सामाजिक विकास मन्त्री रामप्रसाद महतो र सचिव उद्धव रिजालका बीचमा पनि गतिलो सम्बन्ध छैन । मन्त्री र सचिवको काम गर्ने तौरतरिका नमिल्दा काममा समस्या भएको मन्त्रालयका कर्मचारीहरू बताउँछन् । मन्त्री महतोको सचिवालय समेत गतिलो नहुँदा मन्त्रालयबाट हुने काम निस्कन सकेको छैन । मन्त्रीले एकतिर काम गर भन्ने र सचिवले कर्मचारीलाई अर्कैतिर काम लगाउँदा सामाजिक विकास मन्त्रालयमा मन्त्री र सचिवका बीचको लफडा दिनदिनै बढ्दै गएको छ । मन्त्री र कर्मचारीको विवादका कारण कर्मचारी भने हैरानीमा छन् ।

उद्योग कृषि तथा सहकारी मन्त्री इस्राइल मन्सुरी र सचिव डा. पशुपति ढुंगानबीच समन्वय र सहकार्य नहुँदा समस्या नै समस्या उत्पन्न भएको छ । मन्त्री र सचिवको कुरा नमिलेपछि काम निकाल्न मन्त्री मन्त्रालय भन्दा बाहिर बैठक बस्नु पर्ने अवस्था आएको छ ।

मन्त्रालयका श्रोतका अनुसार मन्त्रीले भनेका र निर्देशन दिएका अधिकांश कामको फाइल अगाडि बढेका छैनन् । जेन्जी आन्दोलन अघिसम्म ठिकठाकै थियो । सामाजिक विकास मन्त्रालयका एक कर्मचारीले भने यस पछि भने सचिव र मन्त्रीहरूका बिचमा दूरी बढ्दै गयो । कोशी प्रदेश सरकारमा वन पर्यटन तथा वातावरण मन्त्रालय बाहेक सबै मन्त्रालयमा सङ्घीय कर्मचारी सचिव छन् । प्रदेशका मन्त्रालयमा सचिवको रूपमा सङ्घीय कर्मचारी आउने सामान्य विवाद र समस्या हुने बित्तिकै सरुवा मिलाएर जाने प्रबतीले प्रदेशको कार्यक्षमता प्रति प्रश्न उठ्दै आएको छ ।

योबाहेक सचिव मन्त्रालयप्रति उत्तरदायी र जबाफदेही हुनुको साटो प्रमुख सचिव र मुख्यमन्त्री कार्यालयप्रति उत्तरदायी हुँदा काममा समस्या भएको मन्त्रीहरू बताउँछन् । मन्त्री पराजुली र तामाङसँगको विवादको जड पनि यही हो । सचिव तामाङले आफूसँग समन्वय गर्नुको साटो सिधै प्रमुख सचिवसँग समन्वय गरेर काम गरेको गुनासो मन्त्री पराजुलीले आफू निकटसँग गर्दै आएका छन् ।

यसअघि गएको भदौमा पनि तत्कालीन उद्योग कृषि तथा सहकारी मन्त्री खगेन सिंह हांगाम र तत्कालीन सचिव डा. शरणकुमार पाण्डे बीचमा भएको विवाद सतहमा आयो । हांगामले सचिव पाण्डेले चढ्दै आएको गाडीसमेत खोसेपछि सचिव पाण्डे सरुवा लिएर हिँडे । चाबी खोसेपछि मन्त्री हांगामले मन्त्रीसँग समन्वय गर्नुको साटो सचिवले प्रमुख सचिवको सल्लाहमा काम गरेको आरोप लगाएका थिए । उनले भने, ‘मन्त्रालयको काम त मन्त्रीसँग सल्लाह गर्नु पर्ने हो । तर सचिवले प्रमुख सचिव र मुख्यमन्त्री कार्यालयमा दौडिएर समय बिताए ।’

आफ्ना कर्मचारी थन्काउँदाको मार

प्रदेश सरकारका अधिकांश मन्त्रालयमा प्रदेशकै कर्मचारी सचिव हुने योग्यताका छन् । कर्मचारी समायोजन ऐन, २०७५ को दफा ११ (३) र कोशी प्रदेश निजामती सेवा ऐन, २०७९ बमोजिम ११ औँ तहको कर्मचारी नै प्रदेश सचिव हुने स्पष्ट व्यवस्था छ । तर प्रदेश सरकारले आफ्ना कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको जिम्मेवारी नदिँदा समस्यामाथि समस्या थपिँदै आएको छ । सङ्घीय कर्मचारी पिकनिक मनाउन जस्तो आउँछन् । एक उप सचिवले भने, ‘समस्या आएपछि हिँडिहाल्छन् । यसले प्रदेश सरकारको कार्यक्षमता माथि नै प्रश्न उठेको छ ।’

केही दिनअघि प्रदेशका मन्त्रालयमा प्रदेशकै कर्मचारी सचिव बनाउनु पर्छ भन्दै मुख्यमन्त्री हिक्मत कुमार कार्की समक्ष ज्ञापन पत्र लिएर गएका उपसचिवहरूले प्रदेशको यो अधिकारलाई मिचेर केन्द्रबाट हस्तक्षेप गरिनुले सङ्घीयताको मर्ममाथि नै प्रहार प्रहार भएको बताएका थिए । प्रदेशकै सचिवले काम काज गरिरहेको बला वन पर्यटन तथा वातावरण मन्त्रालयमा सङ्घीय कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको रूपमा पठाएपछि उपसचिवहरू ज्ञापन पत्र लिएर मुख्यमन्त्री समक्ष पुगेका थिए ।

कानुनमा छ व्यवस्था

प्रदेश निजामती सेवा ऐन, दफा ११३ (१) मा प्रदेश सरकारको एघारौँ तहको कर्मचारीलाई प्रदेश सचिवमा नियुक्त गर्न सक्ने व्यवस्था छ। दफा ११३ (३) अनुसार, यदि प्रदेश निजामती सेवाको सम्बन्धित सेवा समूहको कर्मचारी उपलब्ध भए सङ्घीय कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको रूपमा खटाउन नपाइने प्रावधान छ । तर प्रदेश सरकारका मुख्यमन्त्री तथा मन्त्रीहरू भने सङ्घीय सरकारले पठाउने कर्मचारीसँग विवाद गर्दै आफ्ना कर्मचारीलाई भने महाशाखाको जिम्मा लगाएर बसेका छन् ।

प्रदेश निजामती सेवा ऐनको परिच्छेद १२ मा प्रदेश सचिव वा प्रमुख प्रशासकीय अधिकृतसम्बन्धी व्यवस्थाअन्तर्गत प्रदेश सचिव प्रदेश सरकारले नै राख्न पाउने भनिएको छ। यसरी कानुनमा स्पष्ट प्रदेशको कर्मचारी भएको अवस्थामा सङ्घीय कर्मचारी सचिवको रूपमा नरहने व्यवस्थालाई समेत सरकार आफैँले कार्यान्वयन गर्न नसक्दा ऐन पनि निरर्थक बन्न पुगेको छ। अहिले प्रदेशमा कृषि , स्वास्थ्य, वन पर्यटन, खानेपानी तथा सिँचाइ, भौतिक पूर्वाधार लगायतका मन्त्रालयमा ११ औँ तहका कर्मचारी छन् । ११ औँ तहका कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको जिम्मेवारी दिन सक्ने व्यवस्था भए पनि प्रदेश सरकारले निर्णय गर्न नसक्दा मन्त्रीसँग विवाद गरेर सचिव सरुवा हुने प्रवृत्ति बढ्दो छ ।

प्रदेशकै कर्मचारीलाई अब्बल बनाइने

कोशी प्रदेश सरकारका मुख्यमन्त्री हिक्मत कुमार कार्कीले प्रदेशकै कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको जिम्मेवारी दिँदै जाने बताए । उनले वन पर्यटन तथा वातावरण मन्त्रालयमा प्रदेशकै कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको जिम्मेवारी दिएकाले अब सबै प्रशासनिक क्षेत्रमा प्रदेशकै कर्मचारीलाई सचिवको जिम्मेवारी दिएर काम लगाउने गरी प्रदेश सरकार अघि बढ्ने बताए ।

उनले अहिले बहाल सचिवहरूबाट असहयोग भए वा काम सञ्चालनमा बाधा पुगे प्रदेशकै उपसचिवलाई कार्यबाहक वा पदोन्नति गरेर जिम्मेवारी दिइने बताए ।

कार्कीले भने, ‘हामी प्रदेशकै कर्मचारीलाई राखेर काम चलाउँछौँ । अहिले भएका सङ्घीय सचिवहरूले असहयोग गरे भने हाम्रै उपसचिवलाई जिम्मेवारी दिएर काम अघि बढाउन हामी सक्षम छौँ ।’

Biratnagar. Last Monday, a dispute broke out between Indramani Parajuli, Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of the Koshi Province government, and Secretary Asman Tamang in the minister's office. The minister and the secretary came face to face after Secretary Tamang said 'potato talk' during the budget preparation process.

According to ministry sources, the minister and the secretary had been at loggerheads for a long time. However, the tussle between them had not been revealed to the press. When the secretary called it a 'potato thing', Minister Parajuli also expressed his dissatisfaction with the secretary. Minister Parajuli replied that 'in our country, employees are stronger than the government and ministers.' Before Minister Parajuli's statement could sink in, the secretary angrily said, 'Yes, that's it, this is what happens in this transitional phase, when there is talk of whether the government will be formed or tomorrow, when? This is what happens.'

Secretary Tamang's anger was not limited to this. He questioned the tenure of the current government in front of the minister and said, "Where will work be done during this transaction? There is talk of abolishing the entire province."

As the secretary was leaving, Minister Parajuli also asked the secretary not to come from tomorrow. Even though the minister said not to come, he reached the ministry on Tuesday morning. The secretary who reached the ministry instructed the employees not to proceed with any financial work without him. After that, Secretary Tamang, who left for Kathmandu, has not been to the ministry while the budget preparation process is underway. It is not yet decided whether he will come to the ministry or not.

This is not the first incident of a dispute and disagreement between ministers and secretaries of the provincial government. Employees and ministers in the provincial ministries of social affairs, health, industry, agriculture and cooperatives have also not been able to reach an agreement. Although ministers and secretaries have not spoken publicly, there is no cordial atmosphere between them. Ministers have been saying that the secretaries have been uncooperative, while secretaries have been saying that ministers have put unnecessary pressure on them. Employees have been in trouble due to disagreements between ministers and secretaries.

Problems have arisen in budget implementation due to disagreements between the secretaries and ministers in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Ministry of Social Development of the Koshi Province Government. Man Bahadur Limbu has taken over the responsibility of the Ministry of Health of the Koshi Province Government. Since the day he was appointed as a minister, he has not been in touch with Secretary Dr. Yaduchandra Ghimire.

The disagreement between the minister and the secretary has caused problems in moving administrative work forward. Limbu has been criticizing the secretary in public, saying that the minister has not given the work he promised on time. Secretary Bista, on the other hand, says that the minister is exerting unnecessary pressure because he does not know the process and nature of the work. According to the employee, the relationship between the secretary and the minister deteriorated after Minister Limbu himself started dealing with the ministry's contracts and suppliers.

Similarly, there is no good relationship between Social Development Minister Ram Prasad Mahato and Secretary Uddhav Rijal. Ministry employees say that there are problems in work due to the mismatch between the working methods of the minister and the secretary. Minister Mahato's secretariat is also not working properly, so the work of the ministry has not been able to be completed. The friction between the minister and the secretary in the Ministry of Social Development is increasing day by day as the minister asks the employee to work on one side and the secretary asks the employee to work on another side. The employee is in a state of confusion due to the dispute between the minister and the employee.

The lack of coordination and cooperation between Minister of Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Israel Mansoori, and Secretary Dr. Pashupati Dhungan has created problems. After the minister and the secretary disagreed, a meeting had to be held outside the ministry to resolve the matter.

According to sources in the ministry, most of the work files that the minister had said and directed have not been moved forward. The Genji movement was going well until now. An employee of the Ministry of Social Development said that after this, the distance between the secretary and the ministers increased. In the Koshi Province government, all ministries except the Ministry of Forestry, Tourism and Environment have federal employee secretaries. The usual disputes about federal employees coming as secretaries to provincial ministries and the practice of transferring them as soon as there is a problem have raised questions about the province's efficiency.

Apart from this, ministers say that there are problems in their work when the secretary is responsible to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister's Office instead of being responsible and accountable to the ministry. This is also the root of the dispute between Minister Parajuli and Tamang. Minister Parajuli has been complaining to those close to him that Secretary Tamang is working directly in coordination with the Chief Secretary instead of coordinating with him.

Earlier, in Bhadra, the dispute between the then Minister for Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Khagen Singh Hangam, and the then Secretary, Dr. Sharan Kumar Pandey, came to the surface. After Hangam snatched the vehicle in which Secretary Pandey was riding, Secretary Pandey left with the transfer. After snatching the keys, Minister Hangam had accused the Secretary of working on the advice of the Chief Secretary instead of coordinating with the Minister. He said, 'The work of the ministry should be done in consultation with the Minister. But the Secretary spent time running to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister's Office.'

The consequences of keeping your employees on hold

In most ministries of the provincial government, employees from the province are qualified to be secretaries. According to Section 11 (3) of the Employees Adjustment Act, 2075 BS and the Koshi Province Civil Service Act, 2079 BS, there is a clear provision that only employees of the 11th level can be provincial secretaries. But the provincial government is not giving its employees the responsibility of secretaries, which is adding to the problem. Federal employees come as if for a picnic. A deputy secretary said, 'When a problem arises, they leave. This has raised questions about the efficiency of the provincial government.'

A few days ago, the deputy secretaries who had gone to Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki with a memorandum demanding that a provincial employee be appointed as a secretary in the provincial ministries had said that the interference from the center, violating this right of the province, was an attack on the very essence of federalism. The deputy secretaries had approached the Chief Minister with a memorandum after a federal employee was sent as a secretary to the Ministry of Forestry, Tourism and Environment, where the provincial secretary was working.

There is a provision in the law.

Section 113 (1) of the Provincial Civil Service Act provides for the appointment of an eleventh-level employee of the provincial government as a provincial secretary. Section 113 (3) states that if an employee from the relevant service group of the provincial civil service is available, a federal employee cannot be appointed as a secretary. However, the Chief Ministers and Ministers of the provincial government have been arguing with the employees sent by the federal government and have been keeping their employees in the charge of the division.

Chapter 12 of the Provincial Civil Service Act states that the provincial government can appoint a provincial secretary under the provisions related to provincial secretaries or chief administrative officers. Thus, the government itself has failed to implement the provision that federal employees should not be secretaries in the case of provincial employees, which is clear in the law. Currently, there are 11th level employees in ministries including agriculture, health, forest tourism, drinking water and irrigation, and physical infrastructure in the province. Although there is a provision that allows 11th level employees to be given the responsibility of secretaries, the tendency of transferring secretaries after disputes with the minister is increasing as the provincial government is unable to take a decision.

The province's employees will be made excellent.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki said that the provincial government will continue to assign the responsibility of secretary to the provincial employee. He said that since the provincial employee has been assigned the responsibility of secretary in the Ministry of Forestry, Tourism and Environment, now the provincial government will move forward by assigning the responsibility of secretary to the provincial employee in all administrative areas.

He said that if the current secretaries fail to cooperate or obstruct the work, the deputy secretary of the province will be given the responsibility by being promoted or made acting.

Karki said, "We are running the work by hiring employees from the province. If the current federal secretaries fail to cooperate, we are capable of giving responsibility to our deputy secretaries to move the work forward."