KATHMANDU, Oct 31: The Ministry of Supplies has transferred Gopal Khadka, executive director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), to the ministry for fear that he may cause further losses to the NOC if allowed to work there.
The government through a cabinet decision last month had sacked Khadka on the charge of committing irregularities while purchasing land plots for the NOC in various districts. But later he later secured an interim order from the Supreme Court against the sack. The case is still sub judice.
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After the court order, he resumed work at the NOC but the then Supplies Minister Shiva Kumar Mandal and secretary at the ministry Krishna Prasad Devkota decided to depute him to the ministry and sought approval from the Election Commission for his transfer as the election code of conduct is already in effect.
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"The government has already decided to transfer Khadka to the ministry from the N”C," Devkota told Republica.
Newly-appointed Minister for Supplies Jayant Chand has endorsed his predecessor's proposal. On Monday, Chand summoned Khadka at the ministry and informed the latter about the transfer decision.
The government had sacked him after different parliamentary committees based on their separate investigations concluded that NOC had paid unusually high prices for the lands bought in various districts for setting up fuel storage facilities.“
"After the court's interim order, Khadka was behaving as if he was acquitted by the apex court. But the latest move is akin to departmental action because he will have no role in the minis”ry," said an official at the ministry.
Meanwhile the government has appointed NOC Acting Deputy Managing Director Sushil Bhattarai to the post of Acting Managing Director following the decision to transfer Khadka to the ministry.
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