POKHARA: While political leaders are often criticized for availing various state benefits upon completing their terms, former officials of the Gandaki Province Government have chosen not to utilize any such privileges.
Two years ago, then Chief Minister Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel initiated efforts to draft a law aimed at providing facilities to former chief ministers and speakers, among others. However, this proposal faced stiff opposition and didn’t move forward. At that time, the Council of Ministers had formed a three-member committee to draft this law.
Former Chief Minister Pokharel also faced criticism for not returning the state-assigned car and driver for six months following his departure from office. On the other hand, another former chief minister, Prithbi Subba Gurung, publicly announced that he won’t accept any facilities provided by the provincial government.
Khagarj Adhikari, who served as the chief minister for five months after the November 2022 election, has also refrained from accepting any such facilities.
Likewise, Babu Ram Kunwar, Amik Sherchan, and Sita Kumari Poudel, who have all served as the Province Chief of Gandaki, have also not received facilities from the province government following their departure from office.
Ana Prasad Neupane, the secretary at the Office of the Province Chief, confirmed that these individuals are not getting any benefits from the provincial government. “Providing security for VIPs falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry,” he added.
Surendra Raj Pandey succeeded Adhikari as the Chief Minister in April. The provincial government currently has seven ministries. It once had 12 ministries as part of a power-sharing agreement with coalition partners to accommodate as many leaders as possible in the cabinet.
Over the course of two terms in the six years of the province government’s existence, a total of 27 leaders have served as ministers. None of them are given any facilities by the provincial government after they leave office, according to Neupane.
Province Chiefs are entitled to salary and facilities as per the Remuneration and Facilities Act of 2017. Similarly, chief ministers and ministers receive pay and benefits in accordance with the Remuneration and Other Facilities of Chief Minister and Minister Act of 2017.
