PM Karki slashes secretariat to six amid growing nepotism outcry

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has decided to significantly trim the number of secretariats and expert groups in her office, reducing them to six.

According to the Prime Minister’s Advisor and Secretariat Management Procedures, 2074 (Eleventh Amendment, 2081), the PM’s Secretariat has 66 sanctioned positions across various roles. However, PM Karki had filled only what she described as “essential” posts, limiting the secretariat to 20 members.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers stated that the downsizing comes in response to concerns raised by ‘Gen Z’ youth and various stakeholders over recent appointments.

The restructured secretariat now includes only six roles: 

• Ajay Bhadra Khanal as chief adviser, 
• Govinda Narayan Timilsina as public relations adviser, 
• Adarsh Kumar Shrestha as chief private secretary, 
• Ram Bahadur Rawal as press coordinator, 
• Keshav Thapa as private section officer (photographer), and 
• Dr Man Bahadur KC as public health expert. 

All other appointees have been released effective immediately, the statement said.

The overhaul follows public backlash after allegations of nepotism and favouritism against the Prime Minister’s Office surfaced on Sunday, where several media reports claimed Adarsh Kumar Shrestha, Chief Private Secretary to PM Sushila Karki, used his position to appoint his wife and other relatives to the secretariat. This was widely criticised as undermining accountability and transparency in the highest executive office.

Amid growing pressure, many ‘Gen Z’ activists demanded that the controversial appointments be annulled and that Shrestha resign. The PM’s Secretariat had earlier defended the appointments as being in line with legal procedures and operational needs.