The ‘promotion’ became controversial after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and a minister representing the CPN-UML said publicly that Mainali was never promoted but was only transferred to the President’s Office.
In view of the deepening controversy over Mainali’s ‘promotion’, the Ministry of General Administration has started a study on creating a new service group for the President’s Office so as to accommodate Mainali, said Rabindra Shrestha, Minister for General Administration.
Shrestha said the government will decide the post, facilities, powers and responsibilities for Mainali after examining the organizational structure of president’s offices in other countries. Shrestha further said that his ministry is very close to a decision in this regard.
Minister Shrestha claimed that the government had decided to transfer Mainali to the President’s Office in his capacity as secretary. But the decision was falsely taken as a promotion and was publicized as such. Shrestha said that Mainali would never be promoted to a post equal to that of the chief secretary. Mainali is likely to get his transfer letter on Friday.
Shrestha’s comment on Mainali’s transfer is contrary to what Minister for Information and Communications Shankar Pokharel, who represents the CPN-UML, had told media after the cabinet meeting last Friday. He had told the media that the principal secretary was at par with the chief secretary and Mainali was transfer to the post of principal secretary.
But Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, who represents the Nepali Congress, said of the cabinet decision ‘promoting’ Mainali to the post of principal secretary at Shital Niwas, “We had decided that the principal secretary is at par with the chief secretary in terms of facilities. Mainali was promoted to the post of principal secretary last Friday.”
The Mainali issue had also featured at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. As ministers representing the Nepali Congress raised the issue, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told them that Mainali was transferred to the President’s office only in his capacity as secretary.
Sources said the prime minister said so under pressure from the Maoists, who have seen the post of principal secretary as empowering the president. The Maoist-led government had stepped down due to differences with the president in May over the dismissal of the army chief.
However, ministers representing the Nepali Congress have continued to exert pressure on the prime minister to respect the decision of the last cabinet on Mainali’s ‘promotion’.
Mainali, talking to myrepublica.com, said he would resign if he is transferred to Shital Niwas to function as an ordinary secretary.
Meanwhile, Mainali on Thursday called on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, according to sources. He pleaded that he should be given justice. Knowledgeable sources said Mainali threaten to resign if he has to function at the President’s Office as a secretary.
“He told the President that the secretary at the office of head of state should be higher than the chief secretary in terms of protocol. He was not concerned over what name is given to the secretary at the President’s Office” the sources said.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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