“He will be promoted when the PM returns [from the UN General Assembly] after Dashain,” a top government source told myrepublica.com.
Singh’s promotion has been pending for more than three months despite a recommendation to that effect from Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari in June. The post of second man has been lying vacant since Kul Bahadur Khadka, who was promoted as acting army chief by Maoists, retired in June.
Rights groups including OHCHR-N have accused that 49 Maoists had been disappeared from the Bhairabhnath Battalion of the Nepal Army (NA) when Singh was in the chain of command of the 10th Brigade from 2003 to 2004. They have demanded Singh should not be promoted until he is cleared of the charge of rights violations.
Sources further said Defense Minister Bhandari is not happy over the cabinet decision to form a secretary-level committee to probe the allegation on Singh. The committee submitted its report to the cabinet last Friday, with no conclusion on whether Singh should be held responsible for the disappearances.
“How can a secretary-level committee review a minister’s decision on Singh’s promotion?” sources quoted Bhandari as commenting on the formation of the probe committee.
The probe committee was formed last month in Bhandari’s absence.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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