Kathmandu, July 16 -- Lawmakers will once again be allowed to appoint personal secretaries after the Cabinet approved the reinstatement of the facility.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday decided to allow both House of Representatives and National Assembly members to hire personal secretaries.

"The Cabinet meeting decided to restore the provision allowing lawmakers to appoint personal secretaries," Gautam said.

Under the previous arrangement, each lawmaker was entitled to appoint a personal secretary with the rank, pay and benefits equivalent to a section officer in the civil service.

The facility was scrapped by the interim government led by Sushila Karki, which came ...