Kathmandu, Nov 24: Following questions about Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s Chief Personal Secretary, Adarsha Shrestha, the PM’s secretariat issued a clarification. The statement came after public concerns that the Chief Personal Secretary had recruited relatives in the Prime Minister’s office. The secretariat explained that the Prime Minister appoints the Chief Personal Secretary, who in turn can hire other staff under the PM’s guidance. All appointments, they said, followed this procedure. The clarification noted that the secretariat operates with fewer staff than authorized to reduce the burden on the state treasury. It also emphasized that PM Karki has only her husband as family, and due to her age, she selected a trusted person capable of providing close, around-the-clock support. The statement requested that questions should focus on legally justified appointments, not assumptions. It added that linking the Chief Personal Secretary to nepotism or claiming family ties based on surname or ethnicity is incorrect. According to the secretariat, although the office is authorized to have seven advisors, only two are currently appointed. Of 19 expert staff positions, only four are filled, one of whom is unpaid. The personal secretariat has 41 sanctioned posts, but only 14 are currently active. Overall, 20 people are currently working in the Prime Minister’s secretariat. People’s News Monitoring Service.
https://mypeoplesreview.com/2025/11/24/pms-secretariat-clarifies-questions-on-appointments-by-chief-personal-secretary/