Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Lal Babu Pandit has said that the voluntary retirement scheme engineered for civil servants has been halted until further notice.

He also urged the employees, who had filed their names for voluntary retirement scheme, to return to their respective duties.

Speaking at an interaction programme in Kathmandu on Sunday, Minister and UML leader Pandit said, “Civil servants should be mentally prepared to return to their duties, if they had filed application for voluntary retirement with high hopes of getting more benefits from this scheme.”

Minister Pandit further said that 15-day notice would be served to the employees, who have submitted their names for voluntary retirement scheme, to give them an opportunity to file their application to return to their jobs.

He also reiterated that the civil servants would be managed in all thee level including local level, provincial and central level of the government. “Employees can choose their preferred destinations and submit their applications to the ministry,” Pandit added.

According to The Himalayan Times, Minister Pandit said 1200 employees among others who had filed for the scheme have retired from their services. However, some of them had declined to receive their pension book in high hope of receiving more benefits and services for the government.

“It’s better no one should expect more benefits from the government. In voluntary retirement individual might benefit but the country will suffer. There are still plenty more works to be done in the nation,” Minister Pandit lamented.

At least 57,000 employees are currently required in local level in all the seven provinces, Pandit shared.

Nepal has entered into an administration transition after the end of political transition, employees should play significant roles during this transitional phase in the nation, Pandit appealed.

He also urged the civil servants to report to duties where ever the government has deployed them in the country.

“Civil servants, who took an oath from the government to the serve the nation, should comply to Civil Servants Act. Government will not do any act to tarnish employees image so as they,” Pandit added.

“Government will not take decisions considering any political prejudice. Civil servants can put forth their demands to the government. If we can fulfill we will oblige to it if we cannot we will turn down their demands,” Minister Pandit shared.

Speaking on a different note, Minister Pandit said, “The opposition party Nepali Congress have so far supported the government decisions. In the days ahead, the government will move ahead by taking all the stakeholders on board.”

Likewise, Minister Pandit asserted that the report submitted by the Office of the Auditor General would be discussed in the house of representatives.

In case of financial irregularities by any government agencies, necessary decisions would be taken following all the required procedures after tabling the case in the federal parliament.