The Evolution of Administration in Nepal
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THE EVOLUTION OF ADMINISTRATION IN NEPAL From 1951 to 1960 BY GEHA RAJ JOSHI RESEARCH SCHOLAR UNDER THE TECHNICAL COOPERATION SCHEME OF (COLOMBO PLAN) JUNE, 1963 Thesis submitted for Ph. D. Degree in Political Science to Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. T2939 ABSTR ACT k study of the complete picture of the administration in Nepal as it evolved from 1951, or (during the period of one decade) has been done in the present wrk. During theRana Regime there was no administration in the true sense. It was the personal rule of the perpetually hereditary Rana Prime Ministers, his monbers of the family and his followers. This phase of Nepalese Rana Administration continued for a full century. This crumbled down at the dissatisfaction of the agitating masses and the disgust of the late King Tribhuwana. It was only in 1961, that Nepal emerged from the land of rudiment of administration into a country with full fledged modern democratic state based upon enlightended and benevolent administration and its several institutions. For the first time, the detailed ^alysis of the modern new administration and its experiments have been described. Thus, in this thesis, an attempt has been made to examine the various germs (genesis) of well-organized system of public administration in Nepal, The various administrative units and the growth of modern administration in Nepal has been explained and elaborated in altogether seven chapt^'s. First of all, it was felt necessary to trace the influence of geographical position and the political history of Nepal on the changes and tendencies of public administration in Nepal, After doing this (introduction) the first chapter entitled •Nepalese Rana Administration^ serves as the background for the further study of subsequent chapters. The second chapter 'New Administration lays down basic anr sound principles, salient features of the mater id. s and methods of modern adminlstratioji founded in Nepal In the year I951, Also in this chapter, -2- explanations have been made on the significance of the establishment of new administrative machinery in Nepal (1961), The third chapter is devoted to the discussion of administrative organization as it evolved during the period of 1951 to'1960. This Important discussion of administrative organization has been made in two separate chapters (3rd and 4th), The third chapt^ is concerned with the enumeration of departmental type of administration with some selected ministries and each ministry's organization has been explained in detail. The fourth chapter has elucidated as Corporation, Commission, Board type of administrative organization and some other independent agencies. In the fifth chapter, a fine well regulated system of personnel administration with special reference to administrative reorganization and screening of civil services has been described fully. In the sixth chapter, the novel and unique type of financid. administration has been mentioned. For the first time in the history of the adminis- tration in Nepal, a Finance Ministry was set up and the financial administration emerged as an important aspect of the study of public administration in Nepal. Explanations have been offered, detailed discussions and analysis have been covered on the methods of the preparation of budget, its voting procedure, execution of budgetary expenditures and finally the accountability and auditing of public expenditures. In the last seventh chapter, the Implications and innovations of important devices of public administration in Nepal, namely District Administration, Secretariat and the Institute of .3. Public Administration has been demonstrated fully. In the end, I should like to mention one thing that in all the seven chapters barring introduction, every item has been examined critically and many suggestions have been offered as new lines and possible ways of reforms for a vigorous and efficient administration in Nepal. CONTENTS. Pages. 1, Introduction. I 2, Acknowledgament, % 3, Chapt^ I. Nepalese Rana Administration, 4, Chapter II. New Administration. 6, Chaptesr III.Administrative Organization (various ministries) Departmental type of Administration. 6. Chapter IV, Administrative Organization, (Cor por at ion, ^^ Commission and Board Type of Administration, 7. Chapter V. Personnel Administration in Nepal. l^C 8. Chapter VI. Financial Administration in Nepal. 5 9. Chapter VII.District Administration, Seca-etar iat, j j Institute of Public Administration. 10. Bibliography. INTRODUCTION IgOROPUCTION. It will not be possible to understand the recent changes and tendencies in the administration of Nepal without taking into consideration its geographic^ position and its political history in a nut shell. Nepal lies along the southern slopes of central Himalayas. Along its northemboundairy it adjoins Tibet on the east it has the state of Sikkim and the DarReeling district of West Bengal, on the west it has Kumaon and the river Maha Kali, and on the south it is bounded by Bengal, Bihar and Uttaflf Pradesh. The country is a narrow tract extending for about 650 miles in length and its breadth no where exceeds 140 miles. The country has four district zones, 1, The Terai area. 2, The Duns, 3. The Hill country, and 4. The Mountain Regioii. In the north it is surrounded by the highest peak of the world but it is traversed by several passes leading into Tibet, The hill territory from Himalaya to Sikklm/(?ivided into four natural divisionsj These enormous ridges run parallel to each another and each of the natural division into which Nepal is divided, is walled in on all four sides by mountain bgrriers. Bach of the three mountain basins de- rives its name from the river by which it is drained, namely (a) the western division or the basin of Karnali, (b) the central division or the basin of Gundak and (c) - r the Eastern division or the basin of Kosi. The area of the country is nearly 54, 000 sq. miles anfl according to the population of 1953 census ^as 84 lafchs, 31 thousand five hundred and fifty seven. Most of the people are illiterate and backward. Its economic position is not very sound. The chief occupations of the people is agriculture but in recent years attempts have been made through the cooperation of expearts from the United Nations to set up small scale cottage Industries, The main items of export consist of agricultural products, forest products and dairy products. For the purpose of administration the country have been divided into 32 districts. SIISTM HILL DISTRICTSt 1. East No,l 2. East No.2 3. East No.3 4. East No.4 5. Dhankuta. 6. niam EASTStN TgtAl DISTRICTS: 1, Birganj. 2, Mohotary Sgffalahi, 3, Saptary. 4, Blrat NagaT. 5, Jhapa. 6, Ghisapani Gadi. 7, Udaipur Gadi. WESTglN HILL DISOBICTSi 1. West No.l 0 2. West No.2 3. West No*3 4. West No,4 6, Palp a, 6* Piuthan. 7, Salyan, 8* Jumla* 9* Dailekha 10.Doti. 11.Bajhang. 12.Eaitadl. 13.Dadeldhiira. WESTERN TglAl DiSIRICTSt 1, Palhl Ma^hkhanda. 2, Kha^hanl SlvaTaj. 3, Dang Deokhari, 4« Banke Bardla. 5. Kail all Kanchanpur, V g Y 1* Kathmandu* 3ii ancient period, before the rise of ruling Shah dynasty the country was divided into several small Independent states, '-Che Nepal valley originally consists of three independent city - states namely Kantlpur, (Kathmundu, Lalitpur (Patan), Bhagatapur (Bhatgaon). Prithvi NaTaina Shah formerly a ruler of small state of Gorkha^, conquecred al*most all the adjoining states in Nepal and set up a unified centralised sovereign kingdom in the later half of the 18th century. Expansion of the territory continued from time to time toxifards the south under the ruler ship of P.N, C) Shah and his descendants. Battles were fought for supremacy with the then British Government in India during the reign of King Girwana, Yudha Bikram Shah and ultimately a peace treaty was signed at Sugauli in I860, Nepal was recognised under this treaty as an independent unit but its foreign policy was under the control of British Gov/ernment, During the reigp of Rajendra Bikram Shah palace conflicts and intrigues enable m Jung Bahadur Hana to succeed in taking over the Pri^e Ministership in 1846, This office was later perpetuated as herediatary title. The then King ceased to be the defacto ruler of the country aia! and this state of affairs continued for well over a century. During this period namely the RanaReglmie the Prime Minister (Shri Teen) acted as the real head of the state while King was only a symbol, %e King was venerated as religious representa- tive rather than as political head of the state. There is a famous saying in Nepal which runs in Nepali " Stone never speaks and the King does not nove". On account of contact without side world specially after the second world war it was not long possible to keep the Nepalese in bondage and consequently there was popular uprising against the Ran a Regime, In February 1951, Nepal was declared a democratic sovereign state by the late King Tribhuwana who had been installed in the office by the popular will of the people. Under the interim government of Nepal Act 1951, a cabinet was formed in cooperation with the vsffious political parties, k constitution was also formed lod in 1969 the first general elections were held under it. The first elected cabinet with a bicameral legislature was set up under the Prime Ministership of Shri B.P.Koirala, In December, i960, however, the Koirala cabinet was dissolved and the legislature put into a cold storage by a Royal Proclama- tion under the provisions of the emergency powers mentioned In the Special Arrangement Act, I960, k new Council of Ministers was set up with the king as the head, A.t the same time, the King issued a proclamation that he did not intend to revert to an autocratic rule.