February 19: Dr. Chandika Prasad Bhatta has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) by the government. The decision was made during the Cabinet meeting held on Sunday, marking his second tenure as the chief of the state-owned petroleum monopoly.

Bhatta previously served as the NOC Executive Director a decade ago, during which he successfully implemented an automatic price mechanism in the petroleum sector.

A total of 13 candidates vied for the top position at NOC, each presenting their action plans to the committee chaired by Narayan Prasad Duwadi Sharma, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply. The committee recommended three names, including Chandika Prasad Bhatta, Dolprasad Chapagain, and Shatrudhana Prasad Pudasaini from Lalitpur, for the Executive Director position.

Industry Minister Ramesh Prasad Rijal presented a proposal to the Cabinet for Bhatta's appointment as Executive Director of NOC, based on the recommendation of the Sharma committee.