- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०१४ BS
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड ४: आन्तरिक प्रशासन · Volume 4: Internal Administration
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Includes amendments up to: 2024 BS. Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- The Act lets the government keep 'essential services' running by banning strikes in them. Essential services listed in the Act are postal and telephone services; land, water and air transport of passengers and goods; airport and aircraft maintenance and operation; handling goods at airports, railway stations and government warehouses; government printing; and defence production and supply. The federal government can add any other service by notice in the Nepal Gazette.यो ऐनले 'आवश्यक सेवा' मा हडताल रोक्न सक्ने अधिकार दिई त्यस्ता सेवा अवरुद्ध नहुने व्यवस्था गर्छ। ऐनमा उल्लिखित आवश्यक सेवा हुन्: हुलाक र टेलिफोन सेवा; जल, स्थल वा हवाई मार्गबाट यात्रु र सामान ओसारपसार; हवाई अड्डा र हवाईजहाजको सञ्चालन र मर्मत; हवाई मैदान, रेलवे स्टेसन र सरकारी गोदाममा सामान ओसारपसार; सरकारी छापाखाना; र रक्षासम्बन्धी हातहतियार तथा सामग्रीको उत्पादन र वितरण। नेपाल सरकारले नेपाल राजपत्रमा सूचना प्रकाशित गरी अन्य सेवा पनि थप्न सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Section 2(क)(१)–(७), PDF pp. 1–2
- If it considers it necessary in the public interest, the Government of Nepal may, by order published in the Nepal Gazette, ban strikes in a named essential service. Since a 2075 amendment, a provincial government may issue a similar order in its Provincial Gazette; where a federal order already covers the whole country, the province must implement it instead. Each order lasts six months.सार्वजनिक हितका लागि आवश्यक ठानेमा नेपाल सरकारले नेपाल राजपत्रमा आदेश प्रकाशित गरी तोकिएको आवश्यक सेवामा हडताल निषेध गर्न सक्छ। २०७५ को संशोधनपछि प्रदेश सरकारले पनि प्रदेश राजपत्रमा यस्तै आदेश जारी गर्न सक्छ; नेपाल सरकारले देशभर लागू हुने आदेश जारी गरिसकेको भए प्रदेशले सोही आदेश कार्यान्वयन गर्छ। हरेक आदेश छ महिनासम्म लागू रहन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Section 3(1)–(2), PDF p. 2; Section 3क, PDF p. 3
- Once an order is issued, workers in that service may not strike or take part in a strike, and any strike held or announced before or after the order is illegal. Striking is punishable by up to six months in prison or a fine of up to Rs 200, or both; inciting others to strike, or knowingly giving cash support to a banned strike, is punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both. The Act and orders under it prevail over other Nepali laws.आदेश जारी भएपछि सो सेवामा काम गर्ने व्यक्तिले हडताल गर्न वा त्यसमा भाग लिन पाउँदैन, र आदेशअघि वा पछि गरिएको वा घोषणा गरिएको हडताल अवैध मानिन्छ। निषेधित हडताल गरेमा छ महिनासम्म कैद वा दुई सय रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना वा दुवै सजाय हुन्छ; हडतालका लागि अरूलाई दुरुत्साहन गरेमा वा जानीजानी नगद सहयोग दिएमा एक वर्षसम्म कैद वा एक हजार रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना वा दुवै सजाय हुन्छ। यो ऐन र यसअन्तर्गतका आदेश अन्य प्रचलित कानूनभन्दा माथि रहन्छन्। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Section 3(3), PDF pp. 2–3; Sections 4–7, PDF pp. 3–4
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Outdated In both its 62nd and 63rd annual reports, the Auditor General listed the Essential Services Operation Act, 2014 among home-administration Acts and regulations that 'have not been amended to fit the federal structure', even though the Constitution places provincial police and peace and security with the provinces and city police with local governments. (The Act was amended in 2075 to let provincial governments ban strikes; the OAG did not say which other provisions still need changing.)महालेखापरीक्षकले ६२औँ र ६३औँ दुवै वार्षिक प्रतिवेदनमा, संविधानले प्रदेश प्रहरी प्रशासन तथा शान्ति सुरक्षा प्रदेशको र नगर प्रहरी स्थानीय तहको अधिकार सूचीमा राखेको भए पनि आवश्यक सेवा सञ्चालन ऐन, २०१४ लगायतका गृह प्रशासनसम्बन्धी ऐन–नियम सङ्घीय संरचना अनुकूल हुने गरी संशोधन नभएको उल्लेख गरेको छ। (प्रदेश सरकारलाई हडताल निषेध गर्ने अधिकार दिन ऐन २०७५ मा संशोधन भएको थियो; अरू कुन प्रावधान बदल्नुपर्ने हो भन्ने कुरा प्रतिवेदनले खुलाएको छैन।) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 63rd report, Home Affairs chapter para 9 (PDF p. 297, printed p. 265); OAG 62nd report, Home Affairs chapter para 10 (PDF p. 333, printed p. 303)
Ideas to fix it
- Amend home-administration laws, including this Act, in line with the federal governance structure.यो ऐनसहित गृह प्रशासनसम्बन्धी कानूनलाई शासकीय संरचनाअनुसार संशोधन गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (63rd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.