Prime Minister Sushila Karki has appointed her chief personal secretary, Adarsha Kumar Shrestha, as the chairperson of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
In her capacity as the patron of the Trust, PM Karki appointed Shrestha to the post for a five-year term, according to her press advisor, Ram Rawal.
The position had been vacant following the resignation of Ain Bahadur Shahi.
Shrestha was previously embroiled in controversy for appointing his wife, Sangeeta Shrestha, to the prime minister’s secretariat. After the appointment drew controversy, Sangeeta was removed from the secretariat.
In an interview with the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), PM Karki stated that Chief Personal Secretary Shrestha had done her a favor that she could never forget in life. During the interview, she also praised Shrestha openly.
"Mr Rawal is not just a journalist; he possesses honesty and a genuine spirit to help people. Chief Personal Secretary Shrestha is a court employee. As a student of law, he has excellent knowledge of court technology and legal procedures. He is someone who has served as a personal assistant to many chief justices. He was my personal assistant even when I was chief justice. They did work in the secretariat that would usually require 20 to 25 people," she said.
The prime minister further noted that Shrestha has extensive experience working in the courts and possesses strong expertise in information technology and law.
"He won the trust of many chief justices while serving in their secretariats as a personal assistant. Seventy-five percent of the credit for my success at this age goes to Adarsha. It was possible because of his contribution. Previously, the prime minister’s personal secretariat used to have 40-50 employees. I want to thank all profusely," she added.
In the same Cabinet meeting held on Sunday, the government recommended Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal to the president for nomination as a member of the National Assembly.
