Salary Suspension Follows Madhesh Province Chief Minister’s Appointment of 10 Staff in Private Secretariat

Madhesh Province Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav’s appointment of 10 personnel to his private secretariat has resulted in a salary suspension by employees. According to a Nepal government circular, no more than three appointments are allowed in a secretariat. Despite the Chief Minister submitting a file for salary disbursement nearly two months ago, staff have refused to process the payments. 24 Baisakh, Janakpurdham.

Since becoming Chief Minister on 19 Mangsir, Yadav appointed 10 staff members to his secretariat, including a personal secretary, computer operator, driver, and office assistants. Sources from the Chief Minister’s office stated the appointees include Kamaldev Yadav as personal officer, Maheshwar Chaudhary as computer operator, Divas Dulal as driver, Vidyalal Raut as office assistant, along with Sanjit Kumar Yadav and others.

The Act, 2075, governing remuneration and benefits for the Chief Minister and ministers of Madhesh Province, allows a secretariat of up to 14 persons, including a personal secretary. However, following the Janajati General Movement, the Nepal government’s cabinet meeting on 5 Asauj decided on expense cuts applicable to all three levels of government. A circular from the Ministry of Finance dated 7 Asauj specifies in Point 5 (ta) that both federal and provincial ministers’ secretariats can have no more than three appointments.

Despite this, Chief Minister Yadav’s appointment of 10 secretariat staff has led employees to withhold salary payments. Though a salary file was sent to the accounts section nearly two months ago, staff are firm that payments for more than three appointees cannot be processed. One employee explained, “The federal government has issued a circular prohibiting more than three appointments in the secretariat. Our Chief Minister has appointed 10, which contradicts the federal directive. If salaries are paid, employees will be held responsible and problems may arise. Therefore, the file is currently stalled.” Recently, during a meeting with journalists, Chief Minister Yadav also expressed grievances from his secretariat staff about not having received their salaries yet.