Sudhan Gurung Returns to Former Responsibility After 48 Days; Other Ministers Face Scrutiny

Kathmandu. Sudhan Gurung, who resigned from the post of Home Minister amid allegations of a 'share connection' with controversial businessman Deepak Bhatt, has returned to his old responsibility after 48 days. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah gave Gurung his former responsibility.

Facing widespread criticism, then Home Minister Gurung had resigned from his post on Baisakh 9. The government had formed a three-member investigation committee under the convenorship of former High Court Justice Achyut Prasad Bhandari to investigate the allegations against him. Committee members included Auditor General Shobhakant Poudel and Joint Attorney General Achyutamani Neupane.

The committee summoned all of Gurung's shares and assets for study and submitted a report to the government concluding that the allegations could not be substantiated. Based on that report, Gurung has returned to his former responsibility. Gurung, accused of 'hijacking' the Genji movement last year, re-entered the Home Ministry for the second time even before the investigation committee's report was made public. The Human Rights Commission has noted his role during the Genji movement in its findings.

Similarly, independent MP Mahabir Pun, who was the Education Minister in the interim government led by Sushila Karki formed after the Genji movement, has become the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation.

While Gurung returned to his old responsibility for the second time, Deepak Sah faced the bitter shock of dismissal. Sah, who became the Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security when the Balen government was formed, was removed from his post on Chaitra 26, just 13 days later, on charges of working against his official responsibilities. In the same case, Nisha Mehta, who is currently the Minister for Health and Food Hygiene, was cautioned.

It was reported that Sah, while serving as minister, misused his official dignity to regularize his wife, who had been inactive for a long time, to the position of a member of the Health Insurance Board, and a letter was sent to the central committee of the party's central disciplinary commission regarding this. Based on that, Chairman Ravi Lamichhane recommended to Prime Minister Balen to dismiss Sah. Ravi had recommended cautioning Mehta as she was not seen to be serious in her responsibilities. When asked by journalists on Sunday if she was about to be removed from her ministerial post, Minister Mehta said that she had not received any such directive and learned about it through the media.

'You probably know more about what came in the media. It's not an official matter,' she replied.

According to sources, not only Mehta, but also Minister of Information and Communications Dr. Vikram Timilsina, Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary, and Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Gauri Kumari have shown weak performance evaluations. It is understood that their performance has not met the standards set by Prime Minister Balen's vision.

'Some ministers' performance has not been up to par according to the one hundred agendas related to governance reform put forward by the government. The Prime Minister has not yet reached a conclusion on whether to observe the ministers' performance for one hundred days or take immediate action,' the source said.

The government has only been in power for 73 days. During this period, Prime Minister Balen has expanded the cabinet for the sixth time. Cabinet reshuffles are rare before the government's 'honeymoon period', i.e., one hundred days, is complete.

Sashmit Pokharel, Minister for Education and Sports and government spokesperson, said that the matter of changing ministers would not be implemented immediately. Responding to a question from journalists on Tuesday morning after a cabinet meeting, he said, 'The current cabinet members will remain in their respective roles. Ministers will not be changed.'

Meanwhile, Prime Minister's press aide Deepa Dahal expressed her displeasure over the media creating confusion without factual and realistic reporting. She asserted that there was no truth in the rumors circulating about removing ministers.

'Some media friends have created news without taking any information from the concerned parties. I urge my journalist friends to write based on truth and facts, at least after inquiring with the relevant bodies,' Dahal said.

On the other hand, top leaders of the party are not satisfied with the matter of changing ministers before the government completes one hundred days. A high-ranking leader stated that it does not send a good message when a government with such a strong mandate appoints ministers without studying their minimum background and removes them before completing one hundred days.

Four wrong precedents set by the investigation report and Sudhan's return

'At least the minimum background of the ministers should be studied before appointing them. After selection, their performance should be observed for some time. Because not everyone learns to work at once. It does not send a good message when ministers are changed before the government completes one hundred days,' the leader said.

He added that he has no information about the reshuffle of ministers, as the authority to appoint and remove ministers lies with the Prime Minister. 'There has been no discussion in the central committee or secretariat about selecting ministers. Who to make a minister? Who not to make is the Prime Minister's decision. I don't know anything about this.'

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) senior leader Balen became Prime Minister on Chaitra 13, after the party won nearly two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives election held in February. On the same day, the cabinet meeting approved 100 agendas related to governance reform of the government. The Balen government, which has prioritized good governance for one hundred days, has directed its ministers and employees to perform accordingly.

To ensure uniformity in the work done by the cabinet and to streamline information flow, a single-door system has been implemented in the Prime Minister's private secretariat. The government has imposed strict measures not only on cabinet members but also on the employee administration, which is considered a permanent government, making it difficult to obtain information easily.