KATHMANDU: The Cabinet on Wednesday appointed Chintamani Siwakoti and Shiba Raj Shrestha deputy governors of the Nepal Rastra Bank.

Earlier in January last week, NRB Governor Chiranjibi Nepal had recommended four names for two positions of his deputies including Shrestha and Siwakoti.

According to the government spokesperson, Minister for Information and Communications, Sherdhan Rai, the Cabinet meeting held today made the appointments.

The two posts are responsible for supervision and monetary policy respectively.

The then Deputy Governors Gopal Prasad Kafley and Maha Prasad Adhikari’s five-year-term had expired on December 25 last year.

It has been learned that Shrestha is close to the main opposition Nepali Congress and Siwakoti to the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his party CPN-UML.

Other decisions

The Cabinet also endorsed the guideline and work procedures prepared to provide land to last-year earthquake sectors.

The documents were prepared by the National Reconstruction Authority.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet appointed joint-secretaries Ek Narayan Aryal, Govinda Karki and Kamal Bhattarai to the vacant posts of consul generals to Calcutta, Lhasa and Hong Kong respectively.

The Cabinet also picked UML leader Madhav Dhungel as Vice-Chairman of the National Youth Council.

The meeting also recognised 22 persons killed in various democratic movements during the party-less Panchayat sysytem as martyrs.

(With inputs from the Rastriya Samachar Samiti)