Former secretary Khanal returns to Kathmandu; says he will not take any govt post in future

Former finance secretary Rameshwore Khanal, who came to a sudden limelight after abrupt resignation from his post last week, has returned to Kathmandu after touring the mid-hill districts for some days. Khanal told journalists that he was determined not to take up any government posts in the future at a press conference organised at the Reporters' Club, Kathmandu Sunday. I am determined that I will not backtrack on my decision, said Khanal. 

At the press conference former secretary Khanal said, he resigned as the leadership at the finance ministry was not happy with his position on the supplementary budget. Khanal clarified, he did inform the finance minister that he was going to resign.

When you are in a ship, you should either cooperate with the captain or quit, said Khanal, indicating metaphorically that he chose to quit instead of cooperating with finance minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari on the supplementary budget.

Khanal had become unhappy after he found that a supplementary budget was being prepared outside the ministry without his notice. I decided to resign when I found that I was being kept in the dark on such an important issue, said Khanal.

According to Khanal, he had talked with the finance minister over the phone for half an hour Saturday evening and that the finance minister had requested him to return to work. Khanal also urged political leaders and Constituent Assembly (CA) members not to make his resignation a political issue.