Dipayal, May 13

Irked at the Far Western Regional Health Directorate Dipayal for allegedly not including the people he had recommended for appointment as health workers, Health Minister Ramjanam Chaudhary has cancelled the final list of appointees made public by the regional directorate.

Similarly, Minister Chaudhary had sent two separate letters nullifying the list of appointees and recalling the director to the ministry.

The health directorate had published a list of health workers to be appointed on contract basis, yesterday morning.

“The minister had sent a list of people to be included on the final list of health workers to be appointed,” said far western regional director Dr Sushilnath Pyakurel, adding, “He cancelled the list as the people recommended by him were not included.”

Pyakurel said Minister Chaudhary had sent him a list of 83 health workers, including 66 assistant nursing midwives, nine staff nurses and eight lab assistants.

“Even as the minister recommended his people, we could not publish their names on the final list because the existing provisions allow only residents of the concerned district to apply for the posts, while more than 70 per cent people recommended by the minister were from Kailali district,” Pyakurel added.

The letter sent by the minister contains various complaints. “The list has been cancelled as the process of selection was not found satisfactory and transparent,” reads one letter.

Minister Chaudhary has also asked Dr Pyakurel to report to the ministry for a month until further decision was taken on the matter.

“Earlier, Minister Chaidhary had even warned the director of dire consequences over phone if his people were not included in the final list for appointmen,” Dr Pyakurel informed.

He left for Kathmandu today to report to the ministry.

The far-western health directorate had announced vacancies for 127 assistant nursing midwives, 140 health assistants, two radiographers, nine staff nurses, 70 assistant health workers and five lab assistants two months ago to be hired on contract basis.

As many as 1,137 candidates had applied and participated in the interview for the vacant posts.

Meanwhile, an aide to the Health Minister Chaudhary allegeldy issued threats over phone to staffers of the administration section of the far-western regional health directorate.

Local leaders and lawmakers from the region today took strong exception to the minister’s decision to cancel the final list of appointees.

Nepali Congress leader and Constituent Assembly member Bir Bahadur Balayar, from Doti, said it was shameful of the minister to take action against the director just because he did not heed his orders and include the names recommended by the minister for appointmentin the vacant posts.

CPN UML leader and lawmaker Prem Ale Magar called Minister Chaudhary’s decision flawed and asked him to rectify it.