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Controversial NOC chief Khadka transferred
The Ministry of Supplies on Monday transferred controversial Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka to the ministry, stating Khadka’s expertise would be used to devise policies to strengthen the petroleum sector.The Ministry of Supplies on Monday transferred controversial Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka to the ministry, stating Khadka’s expertise would be used to devise policies to strengthen the petroleum sector. The ministry transferred Khadka after receiving permission from the Election Commission.
In the official letter sent to Khadka, the ministry has said the NOC chief has been given a five-point Terms of Reference (TOR).
In the TOR, the ministry has sought to cash in on Khadka’s expertise to scout for alternative markets to import petroleum products at a time when the country is totally dependent on India for fuel like petrol and diesel. Likewise, Khadka has been asked to look for alternative fuel sources, as the country’s dependency on petroleum products is continuously growing.
Khadka has also been asked to identify locations to build storage plants in all seven provinces, make petroleum distribution system more efficient and coordinate with the Department of Mines for extraction of petroleum products.
Khadka’s transfer comes at a time when he has been accused of misappropriating around Rs800 million while buying land plots worth Rs1.61 billion in Bhairahawa, Chitwan, Sarlahi and Jhapa. The plots of land were bought to build oil storage facilities.
Earlier, former Supplies Minister Shiva Kumar Mandal had initiated the process of transferring Khadka to the ministry, stating the NOC chief could use his influence to destroy or tamper with evidences, hitting investigations launched by the ministry and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
However, the process of his transfer was delayed after the cabinet appointed Jayant Chand as the new Supplies Minister, turning Mandal into a minister without portfolio. The ministry has, however, denied transferring Khadka for his involvement in land scam.
Supplies Secretary Krishna Prasad Devkota said the ministry had transferred Khadka to devise effective policies aimed at strengthening the petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, the ministry has appointed NOC’s Acting Deputy Managing Director Sushil Bhattarai as acting chief of NOC.