The government has appointed Anoop Rajan Bhattarai as managing director (MD) of Nepal Telecom ( NT ) as a stopgap measure. The post at the state-owned company had remained vacant for the last three months, affecting its service expansion and policy-level decision making.
A Cabinet meeting on Thursday decided to appoint Bhattarai asNT ’s chief until the government comes up with a new provision on the post. Bhattarai joined NT in 1981 and is currently serving as director of its Wireless Services Directorate.
According to Madhav Prasad Paudel, spokesperson for the government and Minister for Information and Communications, Bhattarai has been “entrusted job of the MD” until the Public Enterprises Board (PEB) recommends a new MD or the new government reaches a decision on the issue.
As per the rule, the PEB has to appoint chiefs of public enterprises, including NT , through an open competition. The board, however, has remained inactive following a stay order from the Supreme Court in response to a suit challenging its authority.
On Sept 5, 2013, the court told the PEB to halt the selection process of chief executives pending further orders. The ruling was issued in response to a petition that the government should appoint the chief executives of public enterprises in the same manner as in the past and not through open competition.
Bowing to pressure from the NT workers’ unions, the Ministry of Information and Communications had recommended to the Cabinet that Bhattarai be named the new MD on Wednesday, a Communications Ministry official said.
The post had remained vacant from Oct 12 when former MD Amar Nath Singh retired on the basis of age. Since then, all five trade unions of NT have been pressuring the Prime Minister’s Office and the Communications Ministry to appoint a new chief as crucial decisions have remained pending due to the absence of one. “Even though the appointment has come as a stopgap one, the government’s decision will help the company to move ahead effectively in a competitive market,” said Saroj Kumar Dhungana, president of the Nepal Telecom Employees’ Union. Normally, MD’s tenure last for two years.
Dhungana said the NT chief should be allowed to work freely without political interference to keep the company vibrant. There is a trend that whenever there is change in the government, NT ’s boss also changes due to political lobbying by deputy managing directors and the influence of political parties.
NT is the best performing public enterprise in the country. Two former MDs—Amar Nath Singh and Bishwa Nath Goyel—have served as its chief thrice and twice, respectively.
