Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued an interim order not to implement the government’s decision to sack Sharad Ojha from the post of chairman of Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA).
A single bench of Supreme Court Justice Saranga Subedi issued the interim order paving the way for Ojha to continue working as the chairman of the NIA. With this order, Ojha will return as the chairman of the Insurance Authority.
However, Justice Subedi’s bench has called both the parties for discussion. Now, in the next session, there will be a hearing on whether to continue this short-term order or not. In the hearing, if the short-term interim order is continued, Ojha will be allowed to work as the chairman, but if the order is revoked, he will be removed from office.
Ojha had filed an interim order writ petition on September 22 after the government relieved him of his post as the chairman of the Insurance Authority. He has named the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the probe committee and the recommendation committee as defendants in the petition.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on August 18 had relieved suspended Chairman Sharad Ojha of his post at a time when the case related to the merit dispute was sub-judice at the Supreme Court. Ojha was sacked based on the recommendation of the judicial probe committee. The committee had submitted its report to the Ministry of Finance and suggested that Ojha be relieved of his post.
The government had formed a three-member judicial probe committee on July 30 after a writ petition was filed at the CIAA and the Supreme Court citing that Ojha’s experience and qualifications were inadequate. The government had appointed Ojha as the chairman of the NRA on February 25, 2081.
Ojha had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court demanding an interim order to dissolve the probe committee. The court refused to pass an interim order. Apart from this, another writ petition filed regarding his qualification has been scheduled for hearing in November.
After Ojha’s dismissal, the government has appointed Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Sewantak Pokhrel as the acting chairman of the government.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on August 9 last year had formed a three-member committee under the convenorship of National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Prof Dr Shivaraj Adhikari. Finance Secretary Ghanashyam Upadhyay is a member of the committee while Dr Khatiwada is an expert member. Khomraj Kharel.
The recommendation committee has already issued a seven-day notice on August 30 inviting applications for the appointment of the chairman of the Insurance Authority. As of the last day, 14 people have applied.
