Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management Raghubir Mahaseth has said there was no vested interest in recalling Director General of Transport Management Department Rup Narayan Bhattarai.

Speaking at a programme organised in the Capital on Tuesday, Minister Mahaseth ruled out suggestions that there was political motive behind the tranfer of Bhattarai to the Transport Ministry.

Bhattarai is believed to have been removed at the direct order of Transport Minister Raghubir Mahaseth.It is wrong to publicise that Bhattarai was solely responsible for ending the syndicate system in the transport sector, Minister Mahaseth said, adding that every agency had equal role in ending the system.There were suggestions of tussle between DG Bhattarai and the minister since the government launched a campaign against transport syndicates. Bhattarai did not compromise on his dealings with transport associations and remained firm on uprooting transport cartels across the country. This made him unpopular among top officials at the ministry.

When it appeared that transport syndicates would escape action, Bhattarai had worked in close coordination with the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office against them. Even Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had assured him of support and resources to improve the public transport sector.

On the other hand, Minister Mahaseth had been flexible in his dealings with transport operators and also had meetings with the agitating bus operators. Transport operators protesting against the newly amended Transport Management Directives (2004), introduced by Bhattarai, had been lobbying against him.