CIAA secy honoured for fight against graft

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Secretary at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Bhagawati Prasad Kafle received the Nijamati service excellence award on the occasion of Nijamati Sewa Divas (Civil Service Day) today.

In recognition of his contribution to control corruption, Kafle, who has been shouldering the role of CIAA chief in the absence of commissioners in the anti-graft body for the last three years, was honoured with the award carrying a purse of Rs 2 lakh and a certificate. He is scheduled for compulsory retire next month. Several anti-graft cases have been filed in the Special Court and the Supreme Court during his tenure.

At least four ministers and a few top officials in the government services were convicted of accumulating disproportionate property. Three former IGPs were sentenced to two years in jail for their involvement in the multimillion Sudan scam involving the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers for police personnel deployed in Darfur of Sudan on a UN peacekeeping mission. Similarly, a committee under Chief Secretary Lilamani Paudel announced 20 more names for the awards awards today. Of them, five are nominated for best Nijamanti award, which carries a purse of one lakh rupees, while 15 civil servants chosen for Nijamati Service award will receive Rs 50,000 each. They will be honoured at a programme soon, chief secretary said.

The civil service day is celebrated to mark the Nijamati Sewa Act endorsed 56 years ago on Bhadra 22, 2013 BS. As part of the celebrations, civil servants took out a rally in the City today.

This year’s slogan for the day is “people-centred administration: discipline and good governance.”