Janardan Sharma has been appointed finance minister, less than a month after he resigned from the post following charges that he employed two outsiders to tweak tax rates.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday appointed Sharma as finance minister, two days after a parliamentary probe committee submitted its report saying it could not gather evidence to prove the charges against him.

Earlier on Sunday, the CPN (Maoist Centre) decided to send Sharma again as finance minister in the Deuba Cabinet.

Ramesh Malla, chief personal secretary Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, told the Post earlier in the morning that the chairman had already communicated to Prime Minister Deuba about the decision to appoint Sharma as finance minister.

Sharma had resigned on July 6 after the House of Representatives formed an 11-member probe committee to investigate the allegations that he allowed unauthorised persons to make changes in the tax rates on the eve of the May 29 budget speech.

Prime Minister Deuba was looking after the Finance Ministry portfolio after Sharma’s resignation. According to the Office of the President, Sharma has been reappointed as finance minister on the recommendation of Prime Minister Deuba.