KATHMANDU: National Assembly member Dr. Anjana Shakya has been appointed as a member of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee.

The decision was made during Monday’s meeting of the National Assembly, where Speaker Narayan Prasad Dahal proposed her nomination in accordance with Rule 25(2) of the Joint Session and Joint Committee Operational Rules, 2080 BS. The assembly endorsed the proposal, confirming her membership in the committee.

Dr. Shakya was nominated to the National Assembly by President Ramchandra Paudel on the recommendation of the government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. She is also a member of the Legislative Management Committee of the National Assembly. A former ambassador, Shakya is considered close to the CPN-UML.

Her appointment comes just days after Ramhari Khatiwada, former chair of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, was named to the Parliamentary Hearing Committee.

The reshuffle follows the resignation of Ishwari Devi Neupane, who stepped down as chair of the committee after being appointed chair of the House of Representatives’ State Affairs and Good Governance Committee. With her resignation, Neupane also vacated her membership in the hearing committee.

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee now has 15 members, including three from the National Assembly. Shakya joins Congress lawmaker Anand Prasad Dhungana and CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Jag Prasad Sharma as the Upper House’s representatives in the committee.