Employees at the Social Welfare Council (SWC) are continuing padlocking the office gate demanding the government to take back the decision of appointing Dr. Prabha Basnet to the post of member secretary of the SWC.

Dr. Prabha Basnet (Photo source : swcnepal.org.np)
The government formed after the reinstatement of the parliament appointed Basnet, who was deposed from the post by the then royal government, following the order of the Supreme Court to reinstate her in the same post.

The employees have been protesting her appointment from July 04 bringing all office works to a complete halt.

Talking to Nepalnews, Suresh Pundit, one of the agitating employees of the SWC said that Basnet’s appointment was against the spirit of the popular movement of the country.

He added that as Basnet was appointed after October 2002, after the King sacked the elected Prime Minister, her reappointment is not valid.

President of the Employees Association of the Social Welfare Council (SWC), Prakash Bhatt, speaking at the press conference on the 7th day of protests demanding the removal of Dr. Prabha Basnet as member secretary of the SWC, Monday, July 10 06. nepalnews.com/ANA

President of the Employees Association of the Social Welfare Council (SWC), Prakash Bhatt…
“Though the Supreme Court had ordered to reinstate her, the government should not do so considering the background of Basnet,” Pundit said, adding, “How can the government fulfill the people’s aspiration expressed during the pro-democracy movement of the country if they appoint people who supported the royal government?”

According to employees, they are not protesting against the appointment of Basnet, but the tendency of the government to appoint supporters of the royal regime during the democratic period.

The strike has affected the work of the 150 international non-governmental organizations and over 20,000 non-governmental organizations that injects over 10 billion rupees for the development of the country.

Pundit acknowledged that the strike had adverse impact in the activities of the social organizations, but that they are continuing strike for the betterment of the council despite immediate loss.

The employees have charged Basnet of indulging in corruption and supporting the February 1 royal takeover of the King.

Pundit claimed that the NGO federation of Nepal and other organizations have expressing solidarity to their movement and added that they will continue their protests until the government revokes its decision to appoint Basnet as member secretary.

He made it clear that they are not protesting against women and due to personal ego, but fighting against the wrong tendency of the government and to empower democracy restored from people’s power.

However talking to Nepalnews, Dr. Prabha Basnet alleged that the protest was motivated by some groups.

She further said, “I was surprised the same employees who encouraged me to move to the Supreme Court against the decision of the royal government are now protesting against my appointment.”

She refuted the allegations that she supported the royal move and said, as an employee, she was loyal to the government but never supported the royal move. She also challenged to provide proof of supporting the royal move.

Stating that she was prepared to find a solution if employees had some misunderstandings with her, she added, “I am ready to correct my mistakes (if any) but the protest of the employees against my appointment is not relevant.”

She said she had advised employees not to be involved in party politics as they are development workers and not to do auditing of social organizations under their umbrella, so this could be a reason of the employees’ dissatisfaction against her.

She claimed that the charge of corruption against her was not true, adding, “Though the CIAA has said that I was involved in corruption by appointing a person in the SWC by creating a new post and asked me to pay the salary he had drawn from the council, the appointment was made by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the board of directors of the SWC and I had just implemented the decision.”

The Special Court is scheduled to give verdict in the case on Thursday.

She urged all to find the solution of the problem through talks rather than continuing their protests and bringing office work into halt.

The employees, on their part, are sticking to their stance and continuing their protests for the removal of Basnet.