Lawmakers speaking in the meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee yesterday expressed objections to the government decision to expand the cabinet, local media reported.
The government added the number of ministries going against the recommendations of the Administrative Reform Commission which suggested to a council of ministers with a lesser number of ministries.
There was a need of conducting a survey while deciding to increase employees’ quota in government offices, but why no legal ground is necessary to add to the number of ministries, they asked.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli recently expanded the cabinet size by splitting some ministries and creating a new one, the livestock development ministry.
The ministry of health and population and ministry of science, technology and environment were split to create the ministry of health; ministry of population and environment; and ministry of science and technology. The ministry of commerce and supplies was split into the ministry of commerce and ministry of
supplies.
Lawmakers Ramhari Khatiwada, Rajendra Kumar KC and Dhan Raj Gurung accused the government of becoming apathetic towards the bad times facing the earthquake survivors. The quake victims had been deprived relief assistance from the state, were forced to take shelter in temporary huts, but the government has not paid an attention towards their rehabilitation, they said.
Increase of ministries would cause economic burden for the state and invite problems in the management of bureaucracy, the lawmakers speaking in the meeting said.
Stating that the government should give a satisfactory reply on this, they said otherwise the committee should pass a proposal condemning the
government move.
The government encroached on the state coffer by appointing six ministries when people’s daily life had been thrown out of a gear following India’s unannounced blockade on the country, lifestyle of earthquake survivors had turned tougher, they
argued.
Committee president Janardan Sharma said though the expansion of the cabinet was not the concerns of the committee as it did not fall under its jurisdiction, the economic matters linking to it drew its attention and the next meeting of the committee would hold further
discussions on this issue.