Janak Raj Sharma, recently appointed as the new Chairman of the Nepal Insurance Authority, took the oath of office today (Asoj 9) before Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal. Sharma, who was serving as a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, is scheduled to assume his responsibilities later today.
Earlier, former chairman Sharad Ojha was automatically suspended after complaints were filed against him. Acting under Section 12(2) of the Insurance Act 2079, the Cabinet had formed a three-member investigation committee led by former High Court judge Krishna Giri.
Following Ojha’s suspension, the Cabinet meeting on Bhadra 30, chaired by KP Sharma Oli, appointed Finance Ministry Joint Secretary Seventak Pokhrel as acting chair of the authority’s board until further arrangements were made. Ojha, however, challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which on Bhadra 23 issued an interim order to maintain the status quo and not implement the Cabinet’s decision. Based on this order, Ojha returned to the office on Bhadra 31, but Finance Minister Khanal, serving in the interim government, instructed on Asoj 2 that Ojha should not perform duties as chairman.
The government has now kept Ojha on “hold” and officially handed over the responsibility of chairman to Janak Raj Sharma.
About the Author
