Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has sought an explanation from Tourism Secretary Hari Prasad Mainali after no progress was made in the competitive appointment process for the new General Manager of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), despite a selection committee being formed two weeks ago.
The tourism portfolio currently lies under the Prime Minister’s direct responsibility. On Kartik 14, PM Karki had formed a three-member selection committee led by Secretary Mainali, instructing the committee to recommend a suitable candidate for NAC’s top executive post within one month through an open competition. However, the committee has not held a single meeting since its formation, prompting the Prime Minister to question the delay.
The clarification was sought in the presence of Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay. In response, Secretary Mainali claimed that procedural work had been initiated and cited his recent foreign travel for Nepal Tourism Board promotional events as the reason behind the delay. However, the Prime Minister expressed dissatisfaction, questioning how procedures could have been prepared in the absence of even one committee meeting.
According to a senior source close to the PM’s Office, PM Karki firmly told Mainali that government functioning cannot be obstructed due to a single individual’s inaction. She also reminded him that leadership positions require execution, not excuses.
The selection committee—comprising Secretary Mainali, former NAC Managing Director Captain Kul Bahadur Limbu as the expert member, and the Ministry’s Planning and Administration Division Chief as the member-secretary—was mandated to recommend qualified candidates within a month. The interim leadership of NAC currently rests with Deputy General Manager Janak Raj Kalakheti as Acting Managing Director since the tenure of former Executive Chairman Yuvraj Adhikari ended on Kartik 7.
During the discussion, PM Karki strongly questioned the secretary’s approach, stating that the governance reforms sought by the ‘GenZ movement’ are meaningless if senior bureaucrats continue to delay execution. The Prime Minister further instructed that the selection process must move ahead without further excuses, emphasizing that administrative leadership must ensure continuity of state affairs even during foreign travel or other engagements.
Following the meeting, Secretary Mainali assured that the committee meeting would be held immediately and that the process to recommend the new NAC Managing Director would proceed without further delay.
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