Kathmandu: Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, chairman of the Nepali Communist Party, has said that the bureaucracy should be mobilized by motivating and making civil servants responsible rather than creating an atmosphere of fear during natural disasters and times of crisis.
Addressing the Civil Service Award–2083 program organized by Chandralok Pratisthan in Kathmandu on Saturday on the occasion of the 23rd Civil Service Day, former Prime Minister Prachanda said that state institutions and the bureaucracy are currently facing uncertainty.
He stressed that an atmosphere of fear should not be created to make civil servants disciplined and responsible, arguing that work carried out under pressure or coercion cannot be effective.
“There are two ways to make civil servants responsible—one is to motivate them through good conduct and sound policies, and the other is to force them through fear. Work done through pressure and intimidation cannot be effective. State institutions are currently in a state of uncertainty,” he said.
Recalling that his policy has been to support the government when it performs well and to raise concerns when it does not, Prachanda claimed that the current signs are not encouraging. He also stressed the need for all conscious citizens and political leaders to remain united to protect the country’s sovereignty, national integrity and democracy achieved through a long political struggle.
Reviewing the devastation caused by the recent floods and landslides and the ongoing rescue efforts, Prachanda said that rescuing two people alive from a tunnel after 10 days was a matter of relief, but a greater number of lives could have been saved had effective rescue efforts been intensified in time.
“Rescuing two people alive from the tunnel after 10 days is certainly a matter of relief. But had the rescue operation been intensified in time, many more lives could have been saved. The government must be more responsible in disaster management,” he said.
Recalling the tradition of the government awarding outstanding civil servants on Civil Service Day for the past 23 years, Prachanda said it was wrong to suspend the program altogether citing the disaster. He said the program could have been postponed for a few days, but outstanding civil servants should still have been honored to boost their morale.
“During times of emergency and disaster, we need even greater support from civil servants and security agencies. The program could have been postponed for a few days, but outstanding civil servants should have been awarded. This is the time to motivate civil servants, who constitute the permanent government,” he said.
