Retired civil servants will not receive pensions if they are convicted of corruption by a court, according to a provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill being discussed in Parliament.
Lawmakers have agreed to keep the provision, initially proposed by the government, in the bill.
The government had proposed in the bill that civil servants receiving retirement or family pensions would be denied such benefits if convicted by a court of corruption, forgery of government or public documents, crimes against the state, drug trafficking, money laundering, trafficking of archaeological artifacts, human trafficking, abduction, hostage-taking, polygamy, or other criminal offenses involving moral turpitude.
However, if an employee is acquitted by a court on appeal, they would receive the withheld pension for the interim period, the proposed provision said.
A sub-committee led by Nepali Congress lawmaker Dilendra Prasad Badu had removed this provision, agreeing only on the provision barring civil servants from receiving double benefits.
The sub-committee’s report had drawn criticism for only stating that a civil servant or government employee, if appointed to another position of benefit, must choose between a monthly salary or pension for that period.
The sub-committee submitted its report to the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, including the provision proposed by the government.
The committee is now preparing to pass the Federal Civil Service Bill.
