KATHMANDU, May 20: The liaison officers (LOs) who are deployed for managing mountain expeditions are hired on the basis of their access to ‘higher-ups’. The private secretaries of the Minister of Tourism, various party-affiliated employees' unions, officials of organizations, and the employees of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) go to the mountain climbing time and again as liaison officers. But the employees who do not have links with powerful people do not get the opportunity even after completing five-six years of training to become a liaison officer.