The BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan has appointed brother-in-law and nephew of Health Minister Bhanubhakta Dhakal as advisors.
Vice-chancellor Dr Gyanendra Giri has appointed Suman Panta, husband of Minister Dhakal's sister, as legal advisor and the minister's nephew Amrit Dhakal as public relations officer. VC Dr Giri has also appointed his relative Ganesh Giri as personal secretary.
Panta and Dhakal have been appointed effective from October 27 and Giri from November 16.
BPKIHS officials claim that they have been appointed above the post of officer with perks and benefits on par with faculty doctors.
The latest appointments take the total number of advisors at the BPKIHS to 10 with Minister Dhakal and VC Dr Giri sharing the spoils. The officials say the appointments cost the institute more than Rs 10 million in remuneration.
Panta is the third legal advisor at the institute joining Chiranjivi Khatiwada and Shantiram Bhandari who were also appointed by Dr Giri since his appointment in April. Khatiwada is elder brother of Minister Dhakal's personal secretary Bhuwan Khatiwada.
Khatiwada will advise about cases sub judice in Biratnagar and Bhandari those at the Supreme Court while Panta will give legal advise about operational matters of the institute.
Public relations officer Dhakal hails from Chhathar ruaral municipality 5, Tehrathum like his minister uncle and has been running a private school in Sundar Haraicha municipality of Morang. Minister Dhakal's brother-in-law Panta has been working as a legal professional in Biratnagar.
"VC does not seem to trust the team inside the BPKIHS. He has been hiring relatives and making appointments under pressure of Health Minister," a BPKIHS official said.
