Kathmandu, May 12: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has appointed Minister for Forests and Environment Gita Chaudhary as Chairperson of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
Minister Chaudhary, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, was appointed under the authority granted to the Prime Minister by the National Trust for Nature Conservation Act, 2039.
According to Dipa Dahal, Press and Research Expert to Prime Minister Shah, the Act designates the Prime Minister as the patron of the Trust and authorises the patron to appoint its chairperson. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said it has traditionally been the practice to appoint the Forest Minister as chairperson of the Trust to avoid placing an additional financial burden on the state.
However, the Secretariat criticised former interim government chief Sushila Karki for appointing her personal secretary Adarsh Kumar Shrestha to the position, describing the move as contrary to fiscal prudence and established practice.
In a statement issued Monday, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said the previous appointment had drawn criticism for allegedly increasing unnecessary expenses and encouraging the appointment of close associates to key institutional positions.
The statement also noted controversy after Shrestha was found to be simultaneously receiving benefits as NTNC chairperson while serving as a legal adviser to the Social Welfare Council. According to the Secretariat, the arrangement raised concerns over conflict of interest, public ethics and whether Shrestha possessed the qualifications and expertise required to lead the conservation body.
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat stated that the appointment of Minister Chaudhary was made to end the controversy surrounding the previous leadership and to restore institutional dignity and good governance in line with longstanding practice. #Nepal
