Kathmandu. Radha Kumari Pokharel, a woman member of the Board of Directors of Nepal Insurance Authority(NEA), has resigned from the board of directors.
Pokharel has been asked to resign after Insurance Khabar published a news report that the government did not take action against Pokharel, who is ineligible to be appointed as a member of the NRA. Pokharel’s appointment was also done through an illegal process through a ministerial-level decision by skipping the cabinet meeting.
Although the government had formed an inquiry committee on July 10 to probe the lack of qualifications of NEA Chairman Sharad Ojha, the Ministry of Finance had remained silent on Pokharel’s case. Pokharel had stopped attending the board meeting citing ill-health after Insurance Khabar published a news report on the issue.
Although Pokharel, who had stopped attending the meeting a few days ago, resigned a few days ago, the NRA updated the details of the board members on the website only on Tuesday. Chairman Sewantak Pokharel, members Man Bahadur Aryal and Santosh Rijal are the only members of the board of directors.
Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had appointed Pokharel as an expert woman member with effect from March 15 on the basis of a ministerial-level decision.
Section 8 of the Insurance Act 2079 BS has provisions regarding the qualifications of the chairperson and members of the AUTHORITY. The candidate should have a master’s degree in insurance, monetary, banking, financial, commerce, management, public administration, statistics, mathematics, economics or law and at least five years of high managerial work experience in the relevant field. Pokharel had only two years of experience on the board of directors of Bishal Bazaar Limited.
Although the Ministry of Finance has decided to appoint Porkhel as per the provisions of Section 7 of the Insurance Act, 2079, the Act does not give the finance minister the right to appoint. This power is solely vested in the Government of Nepal i.e. the Council of Ministers. Sub-section 5 of Section 7 of the Act provides that the ‘Government of Nepal’ shall appoint members referred to in clauses d and e of Sub-section (1) of Section 6 from among the persons having the qualifications referred to in Sub-section (1) of Section 8. At the time of such appointment, at least one woman has to be appointed.
Radha’s appointment as director of Insurance Authority is ‘illegal’
Insurance Khabar had repeatedly published news since the appointment of Pokharel, saying that the disqualified person was appointed through illegal process.
According to the agreement reached between the ruling parties, NEA Chairperson Ojha was appointed on the recommendation of the Nepali Congress and Pokharel was appointed by Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel on the recommendation of the CPN-UML.
Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, who was involved in recommending the appointment of undeserving Ojha to the post of chairman of the board of directors and appointing Pokharel as a member, may also face legal action.
