KATHMANDU: The special investigation committee formed to probe alterations in the Federal Civil Service Bill regarding the “cooling-off period” has submitted its report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, naming two key individuals responsible for the controversial tampering.

The report, presented by committee coordinator and Nepali Congress lawmaker Jeevan Pariyar at a formal event in Shankar Hall on Tuesday, holds Ramhari Khatiwada, Chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, and Suraj Kumar Dura, the committee secretary, accountable for the insertion of language that effectively nullified the cooling-off provision in the bill.

The original draft of the Federal Civil Service Bill, unanimously endorsed by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee on May 16, 2025, under Khatiwada’s leadership, included a two-year restriction barring retired secretaries and joint secretaries from assuming constitutional, diplomatic, or political appointments immediately after retirement.

It also prohibited them from taking up employment or consultancy roles in projects or organizations related to their previous offices without prior approval from the Government of Nepal.

However, when the bill was tabled for final approval in the House of Representatives on June 29, 2025, a new clause—Section 82(4)—was inserted, exempting retired civil servants from the cooling-off period. The phrase “prior approval of the government” was also removed.

The insertion of the word “except” in the critical clause rendered the cooling-off provision ineffective, triggering widespread allegations of legislative manipulation.

The procedural lapses and unauthorized alterations blamed on the leadership of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee sparked political outrage and exposed serious systemic vulnerabilities in Nepal’s legislative process, particularly the influence of bureaucratic lobbying on parliamentary committees.

Amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and the public, the House of Representatives formed a seven-member special parliamentary probe committee on July 7, 2025, led by Nepali Congress MP Jeevan Pariyar.

The committee included representatives from all major political parties: Sushila Thing (Nepali Congress), Ishwori Gharti and Narayan Prasad Acharya (CPN-UML), Madhav Sapkota (Maoist Centre), Ganesh Parajuli (Rastriya Swatantra Party), and Roshan Karki (Rastriya Prajatantra Party).

After two days and two nights of marathon deliberations, the committee finalized its unanimous report early Tuesday morning.

The probe committee, which had been given a 21-day deadline with a subsequent 7-day extension, initially struggled to reach a conclusion.

However, after prolonged discussions, all seven members signed the final report, as confirmed by committee member Ishwori Gharti.

In addition to identifying Khatiwada and Dura as the primary individuals responsible for the tampering, the report also points to the involvement of other individuals who were directly or thematically linked to the manipulation process.