Province 3 Chief Minister Dormani Poudel is set to relieve Minister for Physical Infrastructure Keshav Sthapit of his duties owing to differences between the two.

CM Poudel left for Kathmandu along with Financial Affairs and Planning Minister Kailash Dhungel on Thursday to seek permission from Prime Minister and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman KP Sharma Oli to remove Sthapit from the provincial cabinet.

The second-ranking minister, Sthapit is accused of not carrying out his duties properly and disrespecting CM Poudel repeatedly. A minister said that Sthapit “showed indecent activities” to the CM at a cabinet meeting in Hetauda on Wednesday.

It is learnt that Sthapit presented himself aggressively after the chief minister said that the provincial government had failed to give momentum to development works due to the ineffective performance of the physical infrastructure ministry. Soon after the CM spoke, Sthapit is said to have come down heavily on his boss, claiming that he was carrying out the ministry’s works properly.

Sthapit’s office has failed to make tangible progress in carrying out development works even as Rs13 billion has been allocated to it. A source said Poudel would remove Sthapit from the post only after PM Oli and NCP Co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal give him a go-ahead.

Another minister said Poudel was disappointed by Sthapit’s behaviour on Wednesday. “Soft-spoken and disciplined, CM Poudel is very sad about Sthapit’s behaviour. Sthapit is light-minded and can never get serious about anything,” he added.

Besides CM Poudel, most other ministers are also dissatisfied with Sthapit. They termed Sthapit’s behaviour on Wednesday as “imbalanced and abnormal”.

“The chief minister is the leader. All should work together respecting his leadership. One can resign if s/he disagrees,” said a minister who did not want to be named.

Sthapit, who won the Kathmandu-6 (A) provincial constituency, denied misbehaving with the chief minister. “My voice is loud; I spoke a bit loudly. But I haven’t misbehaved with him,” Sthapit told the Post. He returned to Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Sthapit, a former Kathmandu mayor, has got into a controversy as a former municipal worker and a journalist have accused him of sexually harassing them. He has denied the allegations.