Executive director of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) DN Pathak has resigned following intense pressure from the board’s trade union.
The Independent Employees Trade Union of the NDDB has accused Pathak of financial regularities and misappropriation of the board’s authority. The government had appointed Pathak as executive director of the NDDB on December 29, 2008 for a four-year term. According to the union, Pathak and five members of the board had visited England, the Netherlands and France without the board’s approval.
“Pathak had ordered that the expenses incurred during the trip be adjusted in the NDDB account,” said a member of the trade union, adding that he even took action against the account officer who refused to do so.
The union member said that Pathak had tendered his resignation a week ago, however, the Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives had not approved his resignation due to political influence. On Monday, a group of NDDB employees and trade union members went to the Agriculture Ministry and submitted his resignation letter.
NDDB employees had been agitating since July 17 demanding Pathak’s resignation. He is also president of the Central Region Tanker Transporters Association that had declared a strike from June 22-24 creating fuel shortages in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding districts. Following pressure from consumer rights activists, Home Secretary Lilamani Paudel had pledged to take action against Pathak.
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