Kathmandu, October 14
The parliamentary hearing of Chudamani Kharel, nominated as Nepal’s ambassador to Malaysia, was put on hold on Wednesday after lawmakers raised concerns over alleged conflicts of interest, his links with manpower business operators and irregularities in a land purchase in Pokhara.
Committee Chair Bodh Narayan Shrestha said the hearing had been suspended to allow the committee time to study the complaints received against Kharel.
After Kharel was asked to leave, the Parliamentary Hearing Committee began a closed-door discussion.
During the hearing, lawmakers raised questions about allegations involving Kharel, but the committee has yet to reach a decision on his nomination.
Kharel presented an action plan focused on migrant workers’ welfare and improvements to passport services. He pledged to ensure that employers cover the costs of visas, labour approvals and round-trip air tickets for Nepali workers in Malaysia.
As part of his commitment to fully implement the zero-cost recruitment policy, he said he would make the “free visa, free ticket” policy a key agenda in bilateral labour diplomacy.
Kharel also promised to work with Nepal’s Department of Passports to eliminate unnecessary delays and deliver passports directly to workers’ residences or workplaces through secure courier services once they are ready.
His proposed plan includes introducing a digital system that would allow applicants to track passport delivery through mobile messages. Seriously ill people, senior citizens and citizens facing emergencies would receive priority, he said.
The committee has not announced when it will resume the hearing or make a decision on Kharel’s nomination.
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