Nepal's Royal Palace staff will get salary from ministry

Kathmandu, July 19 (UNI) Nepal Ministry of General Administration will not release the budget to the palace but distribute the salaries of palace employees itself from this month, media reports said here today.

In the past, the budget was sent to the royal palace. But this year onwards, it will be distributed through the ministry of general administration and prime minister's office.

''Now, their salaries will not be sent to the palace for this month; they will have to come the ministry," the newspaper Kantipur quoted State Minister for General Administration Ram Chandra Yadav, as saying.

There are altogether 723 employees in the palace. The government has allocated Rs 90 million as the palace staff salary and perks in the budget for current fiscal year.

Though the palace employees were sent to the reserve pool of ministry of general administration through a cabinet decision on June 6, they have been allowed to continue working in the palace because the government is yet to come up with an alternative arrangement for it.

The cabinet also decided that there would be a separate arrangement for palace staff, led by a special class bureaucrat from the civil services.

Mr Yadav said the process of appointing the special class officer was underway, adding ''The officer will be appointed shortly after the new Civil Service Act, which is under discussion, is enacted as law.'' The King has been suspended and the future of the monarchy will be decided through the election of constituent assembly to be held on November 22.

UNI