43 joint secretaries transferred

KATHMANDU, March 1: The transfer of 43 joint secretaries, which was stalled due to a tussle between the Minister for General Administration and the Secretary, has been carried out.

According to an employee working in the Secretariat of the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, the ministry has received the list of transfers of joint secretaries certified by the Chief Secretary on Thursday.

According to that employee, the General Administration Minister Anita Devi had presented the transfer list of joint secretaries during the Council of Ministers meeting on February 18. However, the verification of the transfer list by Chief Secretary Baikunth Aryal was pending for an extended period.

As the Chief Secretary delayed the verification of the transfer list, the joint secretaries awaiting transfer for over a month found themselves in a limbo within the ministry. The transfer of joint secretaries was momentarily halted due to the rift between General Administration Minister Devi and Ministry Secretary Binod Prakash Singh.

In this transfer process, individuals promoted from under secretary to joint secretary have been accommodated, while some joint secretaries have been transferred from the General Administration Ministry to the home ministry. Additionally, some have been relocated from Kathmandu to various offices outside the capital.

For instance, Rambabu Puri, who was promoted from under secretary to joint secretary, has been transferred to the Hetauda sub-metropolitan city as the chief administrative officer, while the outgoing chief administrative officer there has been reassigned to the National Dalit Commission. Joint secretaries are often reluctant to be relocated in the Dalit Commission.

Furthermore, Rishi Acharya has been reassigned from the Ministry of Federal Affairs to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Arjun Gautam has been transferred from the Ministry of Water Supply to the office of the Chief Minister of Madhesh Province. Similarly, Binod Lamichhane has been relocated from the Ministry of Federal Affairs to the Prime Minister's Office from the Council of Ministers, while Bishnu Paudel has been moved from the Ministry of Federal Affairs to the Office of the Chief Minister of Madhesh Province. Additionally, Narayan Koirala has been transferred from the federal government to Home Affairs, and Gopal Koirala has been reassigned from the federal government to the office of the Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province.

According to ministry sources, initially a list of 33 joint secretaries was prepared. Later, the transfer list of joint secretaries was increased from 33 to 43 individuals. The source stated that the work of adding or reducing names in the list of secretaries continued until verification was received from the Prime Minister's Office.

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