Kathmandu, June 1

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli wanted Home Minister Shakti Basnet to wait at least till today to decide about the transfer of 51 under secretaries (gazetted second class officers).

The Ministry of Home Affairs had yesterday transferred 51 under secretaries to several districts, prisons, Department of Prison Management, Department of Immigration, regional administration offices and sections under the ministry. Of them 15 were designated as chief district officers.

According to Prime Minister’s Press Adviser Pramod Dahal, the PM had told Basnet to defer his decision to transfer CDOs at least for a day.

According to Dahal, the PM had told Basnet that it would not convey good message if CDOs were transferred on the eve of civil servants’ trade union elections slated for today.

Basnet told THT that if the PM was not satisfied with the transfer of the CDOs, he would discuss the issue with him. “But the talk that the PM has sought my resignation over the issue of transfer of CDOs is baseless,” he added.

Home ministry spokesperson Yadav Prasad Koirala told THT that he was not aware of any rift between the PM and the home minister. Koirala, however, said CDOs could be transferred any moment by the ministry.

“Normally CDOs do not want to be posted in one district for more than one year,” he said and added that the ministry had not received any complaint from any CDO about the transfer.

Koirala said if the home minister wanted, he could cancel the transfer of CDOs anytime. The home ministry spokesperson also said that if there were any differences between the prime minister and the home minister about the transfer of CDOs, they could discuss the issue and easily iron it out.

CPN-Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the decision to transfer under secretaries was normally made by the home secretary and he did not believe that this could affect relations between his party and the prime minister.