The agitators also agreed to unlock the NSC office, following a grueling three-hours long meeting at Table Tennis Training Center, Lainchaur, after which the government relented on their demands to extend their tenure.
Coordinator of the waged and contractual employees struggle committee Gopal Prasad Mali expressed satisfaction over the deal, “We have called off our agitation for the time being. However, we will commence second phase of struggle, if the new NSC board fails to meet our demands.”
The dialogue team from the sports ministry also agreed to request the government to direct NSC to fulfill other demands of the agitating employees. “Keeping in view the upcoming South Asian Games (SAG), we agreed to settle for what could be the best solution, Kul Bahadur Khadka, dialogue committee member, said, adding, “We persuaded the struggle committee members to call off their agitation, as it would be fatal for us to linger the problem. We gave in to their demands to renew their contract till a new board is formed because only the NSC board has the authority to address their demands.”
Joint secretary at the sports ministry Gorakh Bahadur Singh, care taker member secretary Vishnu Prasad Lamsal and Sports Council administration department Chief Kul Bahadur Khadka signed the deal from ministry´s side. While Gopal Prasad Mali, Kaji Man Shrestha, Kabi Raj Khadgi, Rajendra Subedi, Raj Shrestha, Purushottam Acharya and Surat Bahadur Khatri represented the struggle committee.
Even as the South Asian Games (SAG) is just round the corner, Nepal hasn´t begun preparation for the games. Budget allocations, player´s selection, nominations for the organizing committee are some of the important tasks that the NSC needs to get its hands on as soon as the new board is formed.
Though NSC´s member secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha resigned from the post about a month ago, Youth and Sports Minister Gopal Tiwari Nepali has not been able to replace him. Minister Nepali has instead nominated joint secretary Vishnu Prasad Lamsal as the care taker member secretary. Lamsal, however, does not seem ready to take on the mantle of member secretary as he has not been given full authority. In the absence of member secretary and the NSC board, sports activities and administrative works of the council has come to a complete halt.
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