• Cabinet also decides to hire temporary and contractual employees

Kathmandu, August 19

The government today decided to promote Lieutenant General Purna Chandra Thapa to the post of general and recommend to the president for his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff of the Nepali Army effective from September 9.

A meeting of the Cabinet took a decision to this effect as per Article 267 (5) of the constitution, according to Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Baskota.

The Cabinet also decided to authorise Minister of 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 and 31. Today’s Cabinet meeting also decided to table in the Parliament three bills related to right to privacy, right to compulsory and free education, and right to land (seventh amendment-2018).

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  Unified Public Financial Administration Reform Project.

The Cabinet also made a few new appointments and transfers. Joint secretary at the Ministry  of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Chiranjivi Chataut has been appointed as the additional CEO of 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 sent on deputation as technical executive director of  Electricity Development Division, and Incumbent Executive Director Joint Secretary Baburam Adhikari will also be sent 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 state minister.

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.