Kathmandu. Secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Madan Bhujel, has been appointed as the chairman of the Cooperative Regulation Authority.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on May 28 had decided to give the responsibility of the chairman of the NRA to Secretary Bhujel. Accordingly, he has been appointed as the chairman today.

The post of Chairman of the Authority established pursuant to Section 103 (a) with amendment to the Cooperative Act-2074 has been appointed to the post of Chairman until further arrangements. NRA Information Officer Keshav Bhattarai said that Chairman Bhujel had directed the NRA Chairman to prepare the agenda and submit the agenda to be taken immediately.

According to him, Chairman Bhujel has directed to bring the decisions to be taken in the capacity of the Chairman and to continue the works of the NRA by submitting the authority if necessary. The post of chairman of the NRA was lying vacant as the government had scrapped all the appointments through ordinance. The process to appoint a new chairman has already been initiated. The NRA has already invited applications for the post of chairman and expert member by issuing a 15-day notice on May 10.

As per the law, the chairperson of the Public Service Commission or a member of the commission designated by him or her will be the coordinator for the selection of the chairman and expert members of the authority. Similarly, the selection committee will have three members: one from among the former finance secretaries and one expert from among the people with at least 15 years of experience in the economic, financial, law and cooperative sectors. The Cabinet will appoint the chairman and expert members of the NRA from among those recommended by the selection committee to the government.