KATHMANDU: The government has suspended Nepal Rastra Bank governor Maha Prasad Adhikari without due process.
The Finance Ministry has handed over the letter of suspension to the official who has been giving written and verbal suggestions time and again to save the country from economic crisis and handed over the job to Deputy Governor Neelam Dhungana.
According to the finance ministry source, the decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday. It is said that the meeting decided to investigate him.
Adhikari was appointed as the governor by the then KP Oli government in 2020.
After the change of government, Janardhan Sharma, who became the finance minister, did not get along well with the officials. Finance Minister Janardan Sharma had a negative attitude towards the officials from the very beginning.
Top officials in the finance ministry have said the government has taken the opposite path by linking the governor to cover up its incompetence.
Governor Adhikari repeatedly informed the Ministry of Finance about the possible crisis and suggested corrective measures.
Discussions were held to form a committee to investigate the governor’s official allegation of leaking information before making a policy decision to stop the import of luxury goods.
Some have said that they tried to change the subject by suspending the governor while the prime minister was under pressure to change the finance minister. But it is also expected to have a negative impact on the economy and markets. Dissatisfaction is growing in the coalition saying that the government has made one controversial decision after another in the face of the election.