KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress lawmakers have called for the formation of a high-level parliamentary investigation committee to probe alleged tampering in the Civil Service Bill—specifically regarding the controversial “cooling-off period” clause.

During a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives today, Congress MP Hridayaram Thani demanded an impartial inquiry.

He argued that such a serious manipulation could not have been carried out by a single individual and likely involved a broader group. “A high-level parliamentary committee must be formed to investigate the tampering of the Civil Service Bill,” Thani said. Thani further criticized the committee’s leadership, expressing disbelief at their claims of ignorance.

“The powerful chairperson and secretary cannot simply say they didn’t know. How is that possible?” he remarked.

He said the incident has made a mockery of Parliament and demanded that those involved be identified and punished.

Thani also urged the committee chair to reveal who in the core team was responsible for the finalization of the controversial version of the bill.

Committee Chair Ram Hari Khatiwada, who also called for an investigation on Tuesday, publicly declared that he would step down from his position if found responsible for the wrongdoing.

The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee had unanimously endorsed a provision in the Civil Service Bill barring individuals who resign or retire from government service from taking any government-appointed position for a two-year period—a safeguard intended to ensure integrity and prevent revolving-door politics.

However, the version of the bill passed by the House included alterations to this provision, raising serious concerns among lawmakers.

The changes sparked criticism from across the political spectrum. Opposition parties such as the CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Swatantra Party, as well as senior leaders of the ruling coalition—including Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa of the Nepali Congress and Surya Bahadur Thapa of the CPN-UML—condemned the changes and demanded accountability.