KATHMANDU, May 15 : The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has approved and issued the Pashupati Area Development Trust Employees’ Service, Conditions and Facilities Regulations, 2026, effectively removing the post of Executive Director from the trust structure.
According to a ministerial decision, the previous regulations of the trust have been scrapped. Acting under Section 21 of the Pashupati Area Development Trust Act, 2044, the Minister and Chairperson of the Trust Council, Khadak Raj Paudel (Ganes), issued the new regulations.
As per the revised rules, the position of Executive Director has been eliminated, ministry spokesperson Jayanarayan Acharya said.
Patan High Court stays PADT executive director appointment
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Earlier, although the Act had provisions for a Member Secretary with executive authority, the post of Executive Director was introduced through amendments during the tenure of Basant Chaudhary as Member Secretary.
The Executive Director position was first created in 2003 (2060 BS), with then government undersecretary Ramsharan Chimoriya appointed as the first Executive Director. After his tenure, former Director-General of the Department of Archaeology, Kosh Prasad Acharya, was appointed to the post.
He was succeeded by then PADT director Ramesh Upreti, followed by Dr Ghanshyam Khatiwada. After Khatiwada, Lakshmi Pun was appointed, but her tenure became controversial and she was removed following a court decision.
Following her removal, Subhash Chandra Joshi was appointed Executive Director. With the new regulations now in force, Joshi has also been removed while in office.
Since 2003, six individuals have served as Executive Directors of the PADT, and with the new legal framework, the position itself has now been abolished.
