14 Jestha, Biratnagar – The Koshi Province government has appointed officials to the Koshi Province Sports Development Board, which had been without leadership for eight months, by amending the act through an ordinance. The amendments to the act facilitated the appointment of board officials and members based on a power-sharing agreement between the ruling parties, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the Nepali Congress. After the term of the then Member Secretary, Parshuram Basnet, expired, the board became leaderless, causing a slowdown in the province’s sports activities.
On Wednesday night, Social Development Minister Ram Prasad Mahto appointed eleven members to the board, including two vice-chairpersons and a member secretary. Among those appointed, one vice-chairperson, the member secretary, and five members were from UML, while the Nepali Congress secured appointments for one vice-chairperson and six members.
To facilitate this power-sharing, the first amendment ordinance of the Provincial Sports Act—2081 was issued on 30th Baisakh. Previously, the act stipulated 15 members including the vice-chairpersons and member secretary. Through the ordinance, one additional vice-chairperson post was created, increasing total members to 25. Bipulav Ghosh of Inaruwa from UML was appointed as the board’s member secretary. Santoshi Shrestha from Biratnagar, a UML leader, was appointed as the female vice-chairperson. The male vice-chairperson position was allocated to the Nepali Congress, with former athlete Basanta Aryal assuming the role.
Other board members appointed from the Nepali Congress include Bina Basnet, Keshav Bhattarai, Kishor Bikram Sah, Tikaram Puri, Durga Kathayat, and Baljit Rai, all from Biratnagar. The tenure for all appointed officials and members will be four years.
