NPC vice chair, three members put in papers

National Planning Commission (NPC) vice chair Deependra Bahadur Kshetry and three members today resigned to pave the way for new appointment in the commission, according to the new government's wish.
"I quit the job that I was entrusted to following the shift in the leadership of the government,” Kshetry said at the press meet today.
A former governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank, Kshetry was appointed as the vice chair of the planning commission by the Baburam Bhattarai-led government on September 8, 2011, as he is believed to be close to the UCPN-Maoist.
The three members — Janak Raj Shah, Shiva Kumar Rai and Abdur Karim Mikarani — have also quit as they were also appointed by the Bhattarai-led government.
The tradition has it that with the prime minister, who acts as the chair of the national think tank, gone, the vice chair of the planning commission also follows him. But since the incumbent government was formed on March 14 to hold election, the change in guard in the government was expected not to impact the planning commission.
However, after the decision of yesterday's meeting of four parties’ High-Level Political Committee, to make fresh political appointments including in in the planning commission, Kshetry put in the paper today to make it easier for the government appoint new vice chair.
The new government must appoint new chair immediately as in the absence of vice chair, it will be difficult for the planning commission to form National Development Council to finalise draft approach paper of the third Three Year Interim plan (2013-16).
Kshetry has been apparently not happy with the interim government's non cooperation in calling National Development Council meeting, apart from government's plan to bypass the planning commission while approving the development projects, though the finance minister Shankar Koirala has clarified that there was no misunderstanding among them.