KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday issued a stern warning to Minister for Health and Population Nisha Mehta, while simultaneously removing Labor Minister Deepak Kumar Sah from his post following a recommendation from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
The Prime Minister’s move to caution Minister Mehta comes amid a controversy involving the Health Insurance Board. According to the charge, Mehta failed to show expected seriousness while Labor Minister Sah allegedly abused his position to involve his wife, Junu Shrestha, in the insurance board’s daily operations.
Read also: PM Shah ousts Labor Minister Sah following controversy
The RSP, led by Chair Rabi Lamichhane, recommended the action against both ministers. The party cited Article 25 (4) (a) and Article 69 (Right to Recall) of its constitution, asserting that any official who compromises the party’s ideals or dignity must be held accountable.
Health Minister Mehta, a nurse by profession who also oversees the Ministry of Water Supply, was warned for her lack of diligence in managing the board’s affairs, which allowed the Labor Minister’s family member to interfere in an official capacity.
The disciplinary action follows a recent reshuffle in the protocol hierarchy, where both ministers were placed at the bottom of the seniority list. Before his dismissal, Labor Minister Sah was ranked last, while Health Minister Mehta held the 12th position in the 14-member Cabinet led by the 35-year-old Prime Minister.
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