Kathmandu, June 9 (IANS). Sudan Gurung, who resigned from the post of Home Minister in Nepal, may soon return to his post. Gurung had resigned as Nepal’s Home Minister on April 22 following a controversy over money transactions. Prime Minister Balendra Shah has recommended President Ramchandra Paudel to make Gurung the Home Minister.
PM Shah made this recommendation after the Cabinet accepted the report of the committee which was constituted to study and investigate the cases related to Gurung.
The report has not been officially released yet. However, several media reports in recent times have said that the government-appointed committee did not find evidence of any wrongful financial dealings by Gurung.
For the last one and a half month, Prime Minister Balendra Shah himself has been holding the portfolio of Home Ministry.
“We have received a recommendation letter from the Prime Minister to make Gurung the new home minister. Similarly, former minister and lawmaker Mahabir will also become the science, technology and innovation minister,” a senior official in the President’s Office told IANS.
President Ramchandra Paudel will administer him the oath of office. “The exact time of the swearing-in ceremony has not been decided yet,” a President’s Office official said.
Gurung is one of the prominent leaders of the Jenji movement that emerged in September last year.
In April this year, Gurung, then home minister, had come under investigation over his alleged business links with controversial businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is currently in judicial custody on money-laundering charges.
He was the second cabinet minister to step down in less than a month after the new government led by Prime Minister Shah was formed on March 27 following the elections held on March 5.
Gurung announced his resignation through a social media post on April 22, saying he was stepping down to ensure a fair investigation into the allegations against him and to avoid any conflict of interest while in office.
“To ensure a fair investigation into the matters relating to me and to avoid any conflict of interest or influence on the process while in office, I have resigned from the post of Home Minister with effect from today,” he wrote on Facebook.
–IANS
KK/ABM
