Kathmandu, November 28

The government has issued ‘Narayanhiti Palace Museum and Republic Memorial Management and Operation Development Board (Formation) Order-2019’ to protect and promote the museum and oversee its management and operation.

As per the order, there shall be a five-member Narayanhiti Palace Museum and Republic Memorial Management and Operation Board headed by a secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Other office-bearers include representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Department of Archaeology and executive director of the board.

Functions and duties of the board are to develop the museum and memorial as historical and cultural heritage of the nation, make the memorial a place for organising wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the martyrs, formulate and implement short-term and long-term policies for their protection and promotion, fix the entrance fee for general public, put objects of archaeological and cultural significance on display for public and coordinate with the local level.

The order also stipulates provision of an executive director to act as an administrative chief of the museum and the memorial. The government will appoint the executive director through open competition by inviting application from eligible candidates.

“Persons eligible to be appointed as the executive director shall be Nepali citizens having attained 35 years of age and completed master’s degree in political science, arts, culture, museum or archaeology, with at least 10 years of experience in the concerned field,” read the order. Any person who is not a Nepali citizen, has been convicted of offence involving moral turpitude and blacklisted under the law or has acquired permanent residency status of a foreign country shall not be eligible to be appointed as the executive director. Tenure of the executive director shall be four years and he or she may be re-appointed. If the executive director is found incompetent and involved in unethical activities, the government may remove him or her at anytime.

After 30 days of the appointment, the executive shall have to conclude a performance contract with the chief of the board. The order has also set down the functions, duties and powers of the executive director in relation to management and operation of the museum and the memorial. It empowers the board to hire drivers, gardeners, office assistants and security guards as per necessity. It requires the board to submit annual report to the MoCTCA within three months of completion of each fiscal year.