Suspension of dismissal of Executive Director of Insurance Board

Health and Population Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet decided to dismiss Basaula on January 16 with approval from the cabinet meeting on January 9.

Even earlier, Minister Basnet had asked Basoula for an explanation with the intention of removing him as the executive director. He asked Basaula for 11 points of clarification on October 4, giving him a three-day deadline for the first time saying that he did not fulfill his official responsibilities. After Minister Basnet was widely criticized for asking for an explanation with wrong intentions, he took a proposal to the Cabinet and decided on October 24 to approve the ministry to ask Basaula for an explanation. Basoula was suspended for three months by making a ministerial decision on October 26 on the basis of the same approval, accusing Basaula of erasing evidence.

Basaula went to the Supreme Court on November 17 against the decision of the ministry. A joint bench of Justices Hariprasad Phuyal and Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued an interim order on December 6 not to implement the decision to suspend Basaula. Minister Basnet, who became more angry after the order of the Supreme Court, again asked for an explanation. Soon after, Minister Basnet took the proposal to the Cabinet to dismiss him. According to Ministry of Health sources, after Minister Basnet's order, it was recommended to the Council of Ministers to remove Basaula on December 24. According to the same recommendation, the Cabinet approved his dismissal.

Basaula alleges that Health Minister Basnet is trying to get rid of him by defaming him. He has also accused Minister Basnet of appointing a person who suits him in the board to harm the interests of certain vested interests and the board. When contacted Basaula to clarify this, he asked to contact his lawyer as he is in court process. Executive Director Basaula was appointed by the then KP Sharma Oli-led government on October 20, 2077 for 4 years when Bhanubhakta Dhakal was the Health Minister. Even before this, the Supreme Court has appointed Dr. By removing Santosh Paudel, Dr. An interim order was issued stopping the implementation of Health Minister Basnet's decision to appoint Shravan Kumar Thapa.

Board members appointed against the Act

Minister Basnet has been found to have appointed members of the Health Insurance Board against the Health Insurance Act, 2074. Out of the four appointed as members, three are not qualified according to the law. Minister Basnet last November 8 Dr. Muktiram Shrestha and Junu Shrestha were appointed as members of the board. Nijan Upadhyaya and Prince Pomu Limbu were also appointed as members on January 14.

In Section 18 of the Act, it is mentioned that according to sub-section (d) of the eligibility provisions for the position of chairman and member, they should have continuous health insurance for four years. Although this provision shall not apply to the chairman or member for the first four years after the commencement of the Act, the said provision shall apply thereafter. According to the documents received by Kantipur, Dr. Shrestha provided insurance only in 2078 and Limbu in 2077. Junu Shrestha, another board member, has been insured in 2076, but his insurance has been inactive since 2079. With the dismissal of Basaula, Minister Basnet made a ministerial decision on January 25. He decided to make Shrestha acting executive director. However, after the Supreme Court gave an interim order not to implement the dismissal decision, Dr. Shrestha only got to work as an instrument for one day. No one can tell the minister what he can do and what he cannot do. Therefore, the appointment letter was made in the name of the person he said," said the source.