Minister for General Administration Lal Babu Pandit has revealed that almost 1100 high ranking officials in the civil service have received ‘green cards’ and ‘permanent residencies’ (PR) of foreign countries including US and Australia.

He further said that the name-list of those government officials who have received PR and Green Cards while still being part of the civil service was being collected and that action would be initiated against them at the earliest.

Speaking at a programme organised by Reporters Club Nepal in Kathmandu on Sunday, Minister Pandit said all the ministries are engaged in the task of collecting information about those government officials who have received PRs and Green Cards.

Saying that the passports of government employees who go on foreign visits regularly will be checked at the Tribhuvan International Airport itself for the type of visas that have been stamped on their passports, he said if it is found that they have received green cards (US residential permit) or PR or have visa for an extended period of time then they will be taken to Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu District Police Office) for necessary legal action.

He also revealed that he has already taken permission from the Council of Ministers to amend the Civil Service Act to take necessary action against civil servants who have taken permanent residential permits of foreign countries.

Minister Pandit further added that non-residential Nepalis would be afforded all facilities but the government is clear on the issue of not awarding them dual citizenship.

Saying that Nepal Army Colonel Kumar Lama, who was arrested in the UK for his involvement in a conflict era rights abuse and torture case, had taken British residential permit while continuing to serve in the national army, he said that the government spent more than Rs 80 million in a legal fight to secure his release for no reason at all.

“Had the state known that Colonel Lama had taken a British residential permit while continuing to serve in the military then such a huge amount of money from the state coffers would not have gone to waste,” he added.