Kathmandu, November 11

The government today nominated a member of the Nepal-India Eminent Persons’ Group Nilambar Acharya as Nepal’s ambassador to India.

Acharya, a former law minister in the interim Cabinet of 1990, is considered close to the Nepali Congress party and his nomination by the Nepal Communist Party (NCP)-led government has come as a surprise.

The government had previously nominated former chief commissioner of the Election Commission Neelkantha Uprety as Nepal’s ambassador to India. But following criticism, the government withdrew the decision.

A minister told The Himalayan Times that the Cabinet meeting also nominated Uday Raj Pandey as ambassador to Malaysia and Krishna Dhakal as ambassador to United Arab Emirates.

The Cabinet also decided to nominate Pitamber Timilsina, Rajesh Gurung and Indira Niraula as members of National Sports Council.

The Cabinet also gave thematic approval to the draft of National Priority Projects and decided to transfer ownership of the former king’s family’s property, including the one in Kamaladi to Nepal Trust.