By Our Reporter
Kathmandu, August 25: The Public Administration Association of Nepal (PAAN) has conferred the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour on two distinguished personalities for their significant contributions to public administration, public service, management and institutional development.
President Ramchandra Paudel presented the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour 2081 to Dr. Ramkantha Makaju and the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour 2082 to former secretary and former finance minister Ramashwor Prasad Khanal at a ceremony held in Kathmandu on Monday (August 24). Each honour carries a cash purse of Rs. 200,000.
Congratulating the recipients, President Paudel said such recognition inspires people to make meaningful contributions to society and motivates future administrators, managers, doctors and entrepreneurs to become more responsible and strive for excellence.
He said rapid technological advances, including artificial intelligence, were transforming traditional administrative practices, but the importance of human values would never diminish. Technology and expertise could be acquired and utilized from others, he said, but conduct, ethics and integrity were matters of individual conscience.
President Paudel stressed that sustainable development depends on capable institutions, competent leadership and a culture of accountability. He also called on professional organizations such as PAAN to play a more effective role in policy formulation, administrative reform and good governance.
Receiving the honour, Khanal said public administration was not merely a process involving employees and files but a serious responsibility directly connected with the lives of millions of service recipients.
He said administrative delays and the tendency to ask citizens to “come tomorrow” had caused considerable hardship. He also attributed the migration of millions of Nepali youths to Gulf countries and Malaysia in search of employment partly to weaknesses in the state’s administrative system and a lack of opportunities at home.
Khanal said the deprivation of educational opportunities for children in remote areas and the forced migration of young people also reflected weaknesses in the administrative system.
“Until children in villages are deprived of opportunities and young people are compelled to go abroad for their livelihoods, we cannot consider our responsibility fulfilled,” he said. “The primary responsibility of public administration is to transform chance into a system. A person’s future should be determined not by birthplace or social circumstances, but by equal access to opportunities.”
Chairman of Salt Trading Corporation Pradip Lal Shrestha said the corporation had been making a significant contribution to public health and supply management. He said Salt Trading had played a responsible role in reducing mental and physical health problems by ensuring the supply of iodized salt in accordance with government standards.
He added that the corporation was not limited to supplying daily necessities but was also working to contribute to the national economy through the development of the agriculture, industrial and construction sectors.
Dr. Makaju was selected for the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour 2081 for his significant role in establishing and operating Dhulikhel Hospital, which has emerged as a model hospital in Nepal. PAAN said his leadership had made a notable contribution to the health sector and institutional development while demonstrating a strong commitment to quality healthcare and public welfare.
Similarly, Khanal was selected for the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour 2082 in recognition of his distinguished contribution to strengthening public administration and public services, as well as his role in policy, administration and public service.
A selection committee headed by former government secretary and former PAAN president Krishna Gyawali was formed to select the recipients of the honour.
The Hem Bahadur Malla Honour was established in 2059 BS with the financial support of Salt Trading Corporation Limited and has been conferred annually on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public administration, management, public service, public distribution and matters of public concern.
The honour was established in memory of the late Hem Bahadur Malla, a former leader of Salt Trading Corporation and a renowned manager who made a significant contribution to the development of the institution.
According to PAAN, the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour has so far been conferred on 21 distinguished personalities for their notable contributions to public administration, management, health, education, justice, diplomacy, social service and other areas of public interest.
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