The government has appointed Sangita Pahadi as the new Managing Director of Nepal Telecom. According to a minister’s statement to Fiscal Nepal, the decision was made during a cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening.

The recommendation for Pahadi’s appointment was made by a committee formed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. The selection process involved a written and oral presentation, after which the committee shortlisted three candidates.

The recommendation committee, led by then-Communication Secretary Ramkrishna Subedi, had proposed the names of Sangeeta Pahadi, Anil Jha, and Bimal Acharya. This proposal was subsequently presented to the cabinet by Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung. Pahadi was serving as the acting Managing Director following the suspension of former Managing Director Sunil Paudel, who was accused of corruption and amassing illegal wealth.

Pahadi’s name was recommended for the Managing Director position back in 2021 as well, but the government had chosen to appoint Paudel at the time. With nearly three decades of experience in the telecommunications sector, Pahadi now takes on the leadership role at Nepal Telecom.