KATHMANDU, Oct 2: The Parliamentary Hearings Special Committee (PHSC) on Sunday endorsed the recommendations of Deep Kumar Upadhyay and Leela Mani Paudyal as envoys to India and China respectively. 

Paudyal's recommendation was endorsed unanimously by the 15-member hearings committee, while lawmakers from the main opposition CPN-UML and opposition Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N) expressed their objection to the endorsement of Upadhyay.

The endorsement from the parliamentary committee has paved way for their appointment as envoys to the respective neighboring countries by President Bidya Bhandari. 

The former government led by UML had recalled Upadhyay as Nepal's ambassador to India in May, accusing him of 'working to topple the K P Oli-led government' and expressing dissatisfaction over his performance. Few months after he was recalled, the coalition government of Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Center) recommended former NC leader Upadhyay as envoy to India again. 

Former bureaucrat Paudyal has served as chief secretary of the government and consular at consular general office of Nepal at Lhasa, Tibet.

The government had nominated Upadhyay to India and Paudyal to China on September 1. The post of Nepalese ambassador to China was vacant for about six months after former ambassador Mahesh Maskey returned home upon completion of his tenure.

 
• parliamentary hearing special committee
 
• leela mani poudyal
 
• deep kumar upadhyay