The party stated in a press release on the case of the three secretaries who were surrendered to RCSC

Governance: Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said the details/evidences on the three surrendered secretaries are ready for submission to the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC).

The commission on December 29 has asked the Cabinet for details and evidences of the charges against the secretaries within two weeks for them to investigate the case.

On December 12, the Prime Minister’s Office “surrendered” cabinet Secretary Dasho Penden Wangchuk, economic affairs secretary Dasho Sonam Tshering and the foreign secretary Yeshey Dorji to the RCSC for action.

Meanwhile, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has called the government and RCSC to promptly look into the issue of “surrendering of the three secretaries” and facilitate quick and effective justice.

Cautioning the RCSC and the government, the party yesterday through a press release said the development, in all certainty, can set a “dangerous precedent.”

DNT’s General Secretary Tenzin Lekphel said the development has unsettled the civil service system and thrown up a lot of lingering questions. “What next? Will there be a swift and an effective justice? Or, will this case remain as another classic example of prolonged uncertainty,” he said.

DNT said it has been patiently and closely following the case the three Secretaries to the RCSC. “Listening to views and concerns of people from all walks of life, we have come to believe that there is no trust between the government and the bureaucracy,” their press release stated. “This is dangerous and DNT wants to caution this to both the Government and the bureaucrats.”

DNT said they won’t comment on who is right or wrong but wanted to point out that there is a fundamental problem of trust between the two central institutions. “Bureaucracy is the bedrock of our society in delivering services to the people and government of the day is elected by the people to serve them.”

Tenzin Lekphel said the top leaders in both the government and the bureaucracy, therefore, must not forget, at all times, that they are there to serve the people first. Nyamrup is also of the view that there have been limited or no consultations at all between the Government and RCSC on this matter.

Had there been trust, DNT said, there would have been proper consultations and a large part of the problem would have been already solved at the outset.

“But now the government has taken a unilateral decision to hand over the three secretaries for alleged misuse of their powers, without proper investigation and acknowledgement of the due process.” DNT said. “This has inadvertently created a tangible gulf between the bureaucracy and the political government.”

By MB Subba 

 

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