Himal Press 
PM Dahal adminsitering the oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed National Security Adviser Shankar Das Bairagi.
KATHMANDU: Baikuntha Aryal has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal.
A cabinet meeting held on Thursday took a decision to this extent.
Aryal, the senior-most secretary in government service, was previously serving at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, overseeing the infrastructure sector. His five-year term as Secretary was set to expire in three days.
Cabinet sources say Aryal could be appointed to the post after Shankar Das Bairagi voluntarily stepped down from his position as the Chief Secretary, despite having three months remaining in his tenure.
The government has rewarded Bairagi by appointing him as the National Security Adviser. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Bairagi earlier on Thursday.
According to cabinet sources, Bairagi will be entitled to the facilities and privileges of a cabinet minister.
