The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has transferred 20 joint secretaries to the Ministry of Finance and its subordinate departments, including the Director General of the Money Laundering Department. The Ministry of Finance has recalled the Director General of the department, Gajendra Thakur. According to the decision of the Council of Ministers on Thursday, 20 joint secretaries have been sent to provinces according to the list made public by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration. This is probably the first time in recent times that such a large number of joint secretaries have been sent to provinces. The transferees include long-time employees of the Ministry of Finance and its subordinate departments and Chief District Officers. They have been transferred at a time when voices are being raised that joint secretaries are not performing in the provinces. Five have been transferred to Madhesh, five to Lumbini, four to Bagmati, two to Koshi, two to Gandaki, one to Karnali and one to Sudurpaschim Province. Jhakram Adhikari and Lok Bahadur Sunar have been placed in the additional group of the federal ministry.

Mahesh Baral, Sevant Pokharel, Madan Dahal, Mahesh Bhattarai under the Ministry of Finance have been transferred to the provinces. All four of them were under the Ministry of Finance. Dahal was the Director General of the Internal Revenue Department. He has been transferred to the Far Western Province after 14 months. Pokharel and Bhattarai were placed in the budget preparation team by the Ministry of Finance. Both of them are considered 'cadres' of the Ministry of Finance. They have worked in the customs/revenue administration for a long time.

Parbati Sharma, who was in the Federal Ministry, has been sent to Madhesh Province. She was the head of the Administration Division of the Federal Ministry. Bhaktapur Chief District Officer Umesh Dhakal has been sent to Bagmati Province. Anita Niraula and Narayan Prasad Mainali have been sent to Bagmati Province. Omraj Dhungana and Homraj Poudel have been sent to Madhesh Province.

Nita Pokharel Aryal of the federal ministry and Sushila Aryal, Ram Parajuli and Narayan Prasad Aryal of the finance ministry have been transferred to Lumbini Province. Roshni Kumari Shrestha has been transferred to Karnali Province, while Dholak Raj Dhakal of Karnali has been brought to the federal ministry. Bishnu Prasad Koirala and Ram Krishna Adhikari have been sent to Koshi Province. Sources said that many of the transferred joint secretaries have been sent to the provinces because they have been living in Sugam areas for a long time.

Why is the Director General of Cleansing recalled?

Director General Gajendra has been recalled to the ministry for the time being on charges of having connections with Deepak Bhatta and Sahil Agrawal, who are under investigation in money laundering. Bhatta, Sahil, Sulabh and Shekhar Golchha, among others, have investments in Himalaya Reinsurance. Gajendra was dragged into controversy after it was found that he had bought 20,000 shares in the name of Director General Thakur's wife, Niharika Thakur, in the said reinsurance. Therefore, the ministry dragged him as it did not seem appropriate to keep him in the asset laundering department, a source said.