The then Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, had appointed Smita Bhatta of Gorkha as the head of the fund's planning department for a period of five years on December 1, 2008.
Local youth organization Response Team has submitted a memorandum demanding the immediate cancellation of the appointment of the Secretary-level project chief to the Lumbini Development Fund, which created an illegal position.
They submitted a memorandum to the acting member secretary of the Lumbini Development Fund, Himal Upreti, on Friday.
They have also demanded a high-level investigation into the appointment process, saying that although there is a provision to create a secretary-level post with the approval of the Council of Ministers and publication in the gazette by making an ONM, the post was created through an amendment to the regulations without completing any process.
In the memorandum submitted by the response team coordinator Jamshed Ahmed Khan and other team, they have demanded that all the services provided to the project chief be recovered and that the letters and decisions given by the project chief regarding the export of riverine products be investigated.
If the demands are not addressed immediately in a legal manner, a phased protest program will be held, said the organization's coordinator Khan. The then Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, had appointed Smita Bhatta of Gorkha as the project chief for a period of 5 years on 1 Poush, 2080.
