Govt recommends Thapa as Army chief; decides to sign MoU for Establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection

Kathmandu / Aug 19: A meeting of the Council of Ministers held today has recommended the Acting Chief of Army Staff Purna Chandra Thapa as the Chief of Army Staff.

According to government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota, the cabinet meeting held at Singh Durbar took a decision to this effect.

Now the President, with the reference of the Constitution of Nepal, article 267 (5), will appoint Thapa to the post.

The government on July 27 had recommended Lt. Gen. Purna Chandra Thapa as the Acting Chief of Army Staff.

Likewise, the Cabinet has also decided to authorise Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection. The Fourth Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative of Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is being held in Kathmandu on August 30-31.

Today’s cabinet also decided to table three bills related to the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution—right to privacy, compulsory and free education, and land (seventh amendment-2018) in the federal parliament.

According to Baskota, the government has decided to receive Rs 1.64 billion (or $15 million) from the International Development Association of the World Bank Group for the execution of the Unified Public Financial Administration Reform Project.

The Cabinet also made few new appointments and transfers. Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry Joint Secretary Chiranjivi Chataut has been appointment as the additional CEO of the Pancheswor Development Authority, while Churna Bahadur Oli has been appointed as deputy director general of the ministry’s Resettlement and Rehabilitation Division.

Similarly, Narendra Singh Bhandari will be send on deputation as technical executive director of the Electricity Development Division, and Incumbent Executive Director Joint Secretary Baburam Adhikari will also be send on deputation until next arrangement.

The government will also form a five-member Public Expenditure Review Commission led by Dilli Raj Khanal. The chairman of the commission will get facilities equivalent to those offered to the minister of state.

The Cabinet also decided to manage human resources under temporary provision or contract for which the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration would make necessary arrangements.