Even though the KP Sharma Oli government collapsed on 24 Bhadra after the Gen-G movement, the then Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, is still conducting 'political affairs' in the same capacity. Shahi, who became the chairman of the National Nature Conservation Trust as the Minister of Forests at that time, claimed that he still holds that position and appointed Naresh Subedi as the member secretary of the trust on Thursday.

When the Congress and UML government was formed on 31 Ashad 2081, Shahi became the Minister of Forest and Environment from the Congress quota. However, after the Oli government collapsed with the Gen-G movement, Sushila Karki became the Prime Minister on 27 Bhadra. However, Subedi was appointed as the member secretary on Thursday, saying that he would continue to be the chairperson of the fund even though he was no longer a minister. 

He was appointed for another term the day after the term of member secretary Subedi ended on 2 Poush. When Subedi, who was appointed as the member secretary, was tried for a response, he did not want to be contacted. 

Former Minister Shahi claimed that even though he had resigned from the post of minister, he was appointed in the same capacity as the chairperson as per the law. When asked, ‘Shouldn’t he automatically be relieved of the position he received in that capacity after resigning from the minister?’ he refused to speak, saying, ‘I will not give any response.’

The responsibility and authority of the chairperson in the fund, which is the institutional leadership of the government, lies with Forest Minister Madhav Chaulagain. But the fund's website still lists Shahi as the chairman. When Kantipur asked, "How is Shahi the chairman after losing a minister?", the fund's spokesperson, Rachana Shah, responded that Shahi is the chairman when the fund's patron (the Prime Minister) has not nominated a new person and there is no new minister in the Ministry of Forests either. But when reminded that a new minister has been appointed, she did not want to comment. She said that she would amend the fund if the government appoints someone as the chairman.

During the monarchy, the king nominated the chairman of the fund. With the republic, the forest minister has been nominated as the chairman. However, in 2078 Baisakh, the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli did not give Forest Minister Prem Bahadur Ale the responsibility of the chairman and made Krishna Prasad Oli the chairman. Apart from that, the forest minister has been the chairman of the fund every time.

Although the chairman chairs the board of directors' meetings, the administrative executive role remains with the member secretary. The fund, which has a budget of about Rs 1.5 billion, has been operating the Annapurna, Manaslu and Gaurishankar conservation areas and the Central Zoo in Lalitpur. 

The National Nature Conservation Fund Act 2039 BS provides for the nomination of a member secretary by the fund chairman. The term of the member secretary is five years. Earlier, Subedi had even sparked controversy last July when he said that Shahi had ‘arranged a program to cover all expenses from the fund and toured Norway.’ 

Forest and Environment Minister Madhav Chaulagain, however, said that even though he heard about Subedi’s appointment, he did not show any interest as it was not within his jurisdiction. ‘There was no interest as soon as I arrived, I came to understand that the previous person was reappointed, I have not received any further formal information,’ he told Kantipur. 

Ministry officials say that the now reappointed member secretary Subedi has kept quiet about his appointment as he had arranged for the new minister Chaulagain to stay at the zoo. The minister also confirmed that he is staying at the zoo in Jawalakhel after becoming a minister. "The minister's residence has burned down, and there are no accommodation arrangements, so I am staying at the zoo as arranged by my friends. Arrangements are being made for a new place to stay," he said.