KATHMANDU: A seven-member parliamentary committee is set to hold its first meeting today to investigate the contentious addition of the word “except” in the ‘cooling-off period’ provision of the Federal Civil Service Bill.

This insertion, discovered after the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, effectively undermines the original intent of the provision and has triggered widespread political debate.

On Monday, Speaker Devraj Ghimire formed a seven-member committee to probe this irregularity.

The committee includes lawmakers from major political parties: Jeevan Pariyar and Sushila Thing from Nepali Congress, Ishwari Gharti and Narayan Acharya from CPN-UML, Madhav Sapkota from Maoist Centre, Ganesh Parajuli from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Roshan Karki from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

The committee is tasked with investigating the origin and justification of the amendment and reporting back to Parliament.

The Federal Civil Service Bill aims to regulate the appointment and conduct of civil servants in Nepal’s federal system, ensuring professionalism and accountability in the public administration.

A key feature of the bill is the ‘cooling-off period’ clause, which requires former civil servants to wait for two years before entering political or administrative roles. This measure is designed to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain the neutrality of the civil service.

The controversy arose when the bill was unanimously passed by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee without the word “except” in the ‘cooling-off period’ clause.

However, after the bill’s passage in the full House, the word was found inserted in the final text, effectively allowing exceptions that could weaken the safeguard.

In response to the controversy, Ramhari Khatiwada, Chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, has announced he will refrain from participating in committee proceedings until the investigation