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Krishna H. Pushkar
It is painful to read media news on the ongoing cold war and growing unfair relationship between the Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Ahdikari and Finance Secretary Rameshwar Khanal. The media reports said that Mr. Khanal has resigned due to severe differences with his minister. Also, media accused that the conflicts emerged due to unethical pressure and blackjack working style of Minister. The major concern came in media that Bharat Mohan Adhikari wants to save some of the corrupt corporate business houses where Finance Secretary is boldly active and fully committed to take all necessary action against such corrupt business persons and houses who have been cheating/manipulating millions of rupees taxes/revenue, misusing their political powers and influences.
God knows the reality, but people talk in street and in-house that Finance Minister tried to transfer Mr. Khanal as energy secretary without any justification and ground. He also wanted to bring Mr. Balanand Poudel, existing secretary of Ministry of General Administration as finance secretary, so secretary Khanal was unhappy with the news. Secondly, Mr. Khanal has expressed serious dissatisfaction over the unprofessional and hotchpotch mass level recent transfer of its’ senior officers (joint secretary/undersecretary) inside the ministry and its various wings, purely based on political ideology and influences in accordance with the interest of UNL affiliated business persons, ignoring the need and interest of state and institutions. In addition, Krishna Hari Baskota, revenue secretary had also started to disfavor and disobliging secretary Khanal’s interest and developing several vested political things and started assisting in majorities of unnatural works for Bharat Mohan Adhikari.
Thirdly, there was also a big fight over the transfer issues of Rajan Khanal, existing Director General of Inland Revenue Department, actually, media reported Mr. Finance Secretary does not want to see now his transfer anywhere because of his excellent professional proficiencies and outstanding performances, specially due to the leading role of Mr. Rajan Khanal in ongoing investigation against the fraudulence and tax cheating growing activities of business houses, though the Minister tried to kick him out forcedly somewhere else, because he is the main one who has initiated and taking leading charges to take strong action against the corrupt corporate business houses and business leaders. Though, Minister became failure to transfer Mr. Rajan Khanal due to full stand, exceeding resistance and strong protection by Secretary Khanal.
In general, a blog reported that including Mr. Binod Choudhary and his business networks are the main one who seems involves in tax/revenue fraudulence cases, Mr. Choudhary is a CA member in UNL quota, so people suspect that Minister Adhikari might have influenced by Mr. Choudhary to act against both Khanal.
In general eyes, secretary Khanal are considered comparatively very competent, professional, bold, sound and ethical secretary among his existing colleagues. In public opinion, major political parties, constitutional committees, journalist, civic society, Civil Service related trade unions and other professional organizations must take special interest and pay timely attentions to look after the realty between the case of conflict of Finance Minister and Secretary.
The resignation of secretary Khanal will not affect Mr. Khanal personally, because there are the long list of offers are waiting in the international and domestic market for him. We learned that he has also agreed to join in a senior position of an international multilateral organization, if his resignation is accepted, he may able to be get millions of dollar per year that may be hundreds of times more than his existing income, but state will lose millions of qualitative and quantities values and productivities that are coming and about to come due to his outstanding working strategy and professional competences. So, perhaps we want to see him back as secretary of Government of Nepal.
Some analyst says that Mr. Rameshwar Khanal is not politically active as other secretaries are, but he has very intimate friendship and informal relations with senior leaders in all national parties who may provide all necessary political support. Specially almost all former finance ministers including UML leader Surendra Pandey, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Baburam Bhattrai etc. are all times supporters for Mr. Khanal.
Also, it is very hard for Bharat Mohan Adhikari to achieve even a consensus in his own central committees’ against the kick out behavior for Mr. Khanal from MoFA. The UML Leaders e.g. Nepal, Oli, Surendra Pandey, etc are all time supporter without reservation for Mr. Rameshwar Khanal. Similarly, Prachanda, Baburam Bhattarai, Krishna Bahdaur Mahra, Top Bahadur Raymajhi, etc are also not found against or dissatisfied with the finance secretary Khanal. In addition, Madhesi parties and its leader are also not against Mr. Khanal and has nothing to do with existing accused corrupt business persons. Mainly, Nepali Congress whole party will stand as back up for him. So it is very hard for Mr. Bharat Mohan Adhikari to save corrupt business person and kick out the finance secretary Khanal outside the Ministry of Finance. Some people believes that majorities cabinet members are in favor of secretary Khanal and have already expressed dissatisfactions against the biased and humiliating behavior of Mr. Adhikari towards secretary Khanal.
In conclusion, we want back Mr. Rameshwar Khanal as finance secretary, though we know that probably he is not coming to rejoin the resigned post.
Let’s share your views and opinions over the issues.
(The views expressed above is just a part of a systematic presentation of a random survey analysis of recent media reports and informal views of experts, and just produced for informal discussion in online groups and blogs, it does not reflect the views and opinions of the writer at all. Therefore, it cannot be used as proof for any legal or administrative action or official purposes.)
