According to documents obtained from LBMB, Minister Shah appointed 10 officials to non-gazetted second class posts and one legal advisor, without following proper procedures as required by LBMB personnel administration bylaws.[break]
According to the bylaws, only qualified staff with necessary skills can be appointed at LBMB, through a competitive examination process. "The minister appointed his near and dears ones who do not have enough skills," the source divulged.
Shah, however, said he had no malafide intention in appointing ´some´ officials at LBMB.
"I wouldn´t have published an advertisement in state-owned Gorkhapatra newspaper had I intended to appoint near and dear ones at LBMB," he said, adding, "I want to appoint them all to permanent posts."
He claimed that he wanted to break the sequence of appointing officials under political color.
Officials at MoLJ have expressed dissatisfaction over Shah´s decision to appoint officials at LBMB, which is already over-staffed and has been without enough work related to official documents translation, attestation and verification following the introduction of the Notary Public Act.
LBMB runs independently under MoLJ, but Shah appointed Birendra Prasad Shah as LBMB legal advisor, something that doesn´t fit in with LBMB, according to MoLJ officials.
"Ministers come and appoint near and dear ones to various positions at LBMB on a temporary basis," admitted Raju Man Singh Malla, acting secretary at MoLJ and also chairman of LBMB, adding, "The appointees temporarily recruited by law ministers will obviously lose their legitimacy with the stepping down of the prime minister and subsequent exit of the law minister."
Flouting existing law, Minister Shah appointed Gauri Shankar Prasad, Sunil Kumar Shah, Anupa Sharma, Phiroj Khatiwada, Srijana Gautam, Kunja Kumari Shah, Ameet Staphit, Bhola Deuba, Bidur Khadka and Parbati Malla to non-gazette second class positions at LBMB.
According to the minister´s decision, legal advisor Shah will receive Rs 13,000 per month while the other newly appointed officials will get Rs 12,000 a month.
"The minister not only appointed party cadres and near and dear ones but has already begun the process of giving permanent appointment of those recruited temporarily during his tenure," the source told Republica.
Following mounting pressure from Shah, officials at LBMB recently published a notice in the Gorkhapatra with the purpose of confirming temporary appointees into permanent posts.
Some officials at LBMB and at MoLJ had advised Shah not to appoint more officials, saying that following the introduction of the Notary Public Act, official translation and verification of documents are being carried out by lawyers with notary public licenses and business at LBMB has been greatly reduced.
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