Gokarna Bista
Name: Gokarna Raj Bista
Date of Birth: 1 July 1965
Place of Birth: Gulmi, Nepal
Political Party: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist)
Education: Master’s in Management, and Bachelor’s in law. Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu
Parents: Bhim Bahadur Bista & Chinta Kala Bista
Spouse: Pratima Shrestha
Children:
Gokarna Bista was appointed as a Minister for Energy under Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s Council of Minister from 21 April 2011 – 30 August 2011.
Two motorcyclists attacked Bista with Kukuri (Nepali Knife) injuring his neck and head right outside his house on 21 April 2011.
Bista was again appointed as Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security under Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oil’s from 16 March 2018 – 21 November 2019. He made revolutionary changes for labors as a Minister. He set up a desk to register Grievance and announced that the Department of Foreign Employment would hear migrant workers’ complaints every day. Plus, he set up two prospective places to issue work permits outside of the Kathmandu Valley.
None of the Ministers before Bista had addressed labour issues as national issues by exposing the wrongdoings prevalent in the labour sector. He formed task forces with labour act experts and government officials to introduce new policies and amend the existing ones in favour of labours. From providing legal aid to Nepali workers in foreign jails, proper utilization of remittance in the productive sector and diversifying labour destinations.
Gokarna was qualified as Public Service Commission in 1983 only to quit his job on the very first day because of the dispute with Zonal Chief Kaji Man Kandnawa. He then joined politics under “All Nepal National Free Students Union” (ANNFSU) and served as a Chairman of Bagmati Zone and Kathmandu District. He was assigned to various departments viz Education Department, Organization Committee of Central Committee, Creative Department, Publicity and Promotion Department. Later he joined “Youth Association of Nepal” in 1993 which was called “Democratic National Youth Association ” DNYA and became General Secretary in 1996 and then promoted as Chairman for two terms starting in 2000. He was elected as Nepalese Constituent Assembly election from Gulmi district constituency in 2013.
This locally popular leader was felicitated with Hydro Excellence Award and Nagarik Abhinandan in the year 2012.
