KATHMANDU, May 20: Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Yuba Raj Bhusal has asked Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit not to transfer top officials of the authority without consulting with the authority, arguing that rampant transfers were likely to impede the ongoing post-earthquake reconstruction efforts.

Recently, the ministry transferred two joint-secretaries and two under-secretaries from the authority to various government bodies. While the two transferred joint-secretaries and another under-secretary were working at NRA for over two years, one under-secretary was transferred to NRA only six months ago.

The transferred officials are joint-secretaries Yam Lal Bhusal and Netra Subedi and under-secretaries Bipin Acharya and Bijay Rana.

Worried by the ministry's recent decision to transfer top NRA officials "as it is likely to hamper the ongoing reconstruction works", CEO Bhsual approached Minister Pandit on Friday and asked him to put on hold the recent transfers of NRA top officials.

“CEO Bhusal has requested Minister Pandit to withhold the transfer for the time being. He made the request as the rampant transfer of the officials from the NRA will only affect the reconstruction efforts, which has finally started to gather pace,” said a source close to CEO Bhusal.

According to the source, CEO Bhusal has also requested the minister to transfer officials from the authority only after consultation with the authority from now onward.

Joint-secretary Bhusal, who headed the Planning and Budget Management Division of the NRA, has been transferred to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM). Similarly, another Joint-Secretary Subedi, who was chief of Policy, Monitoring, Coordination and Social Development Division of the NRA, has been transferred to Bharatpur Metropolitan City office as its chief executive officer. While Subedi has already assumed his new office, Bhusal is still at NRA.

Similarly, Under-secretary Acharya, who had joined NRA barely six months ago, has also been transferred to another office while under-secretary Rana has been transferred to OPMCM. Similarly, Bhisma Bhusal, who was recently promoted from under-secretary to joint-secretary, is also likely to be transferred soon. He had been overseeing foreign aid in the reconstruction.

“We have just 32 months left to complete reconstruction works as per the government's deadline. If the officials who know the nitty-gritty of the reconstruction are transferred rampantly, it will definitely affect reconstruction efforts seriously. It will take months for new officials only to figure out the ongoing day-to-day administrative works of the NRA,” said the source, adding, “So, the CEO has requested the minister to review the transfers.”According to the source, Minister Pandit has assured to consult with officials at his ministry and take an appropriate decision on the matter.

The NRA has already seen five secretaries due to frequent transfers.

 
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