Kathmandu, October 17

The Election Commission today granted permission to the Ministry of Supplies to recall Chief of Nepal Oil Corporation Gopal Bahadur Khadka to the ministry.

A meeting of the EC officials overseeing violation of the election code of conduct today took a decision in this regard. The EC said that the ministry on October 12 had sought permission of the poll panel to recall Khadka to the ministry.

MoS Secretary Krishna Devkota said the ministry had not yet to received consent letter of the election body and the process of recalling Khadka to the ministry would start once the ministry got EC’s letter.

Khadka had resumed his duties on October 9 after the Supreme Court stayed the government decision sacking him from his post. The SC on October 8 issued an interim order in the name of the government not to implement its decision to sack Khadka from the post of managing director of the Nepal Oil Corporation.

The Cabinet, on September 18, had sacked Khadka from his post for his alleged involvement in financial irregularities while purchasing land plots to set up petroleum storage facilities across the country.

However, Khadka had filed a writ petition at the SC on September 21 citing that his dismissal was illegal and that he was not given a chance to furnish clarification to the government.

Khadka has been charged with misappropriating huge amount of funds while purchasing land plots to develop petroleum infrastructure across the country.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is also probing the issue independently.