The dream of the Nepali people to write a constitution by themselves pending over five decades has been fulfilled through the promulgation of the present Constitution. With the conclusion of the constitution writing, nearly all centuries-old political issues have been settled and the people have been eyeing for concrete achievements on economic front. It is a fact that we have virtually no choice than to kick start economic activities ushering into an era of rapid economic development. I believe the most important goal of the political leadership anywhere is to achieve economic transformations for people and alleviate their economic sufferings. But it is apparent in our case that an extreme economic distress, inequitable distribution of resources, imbalanced regional development and poor service delivery have become the crushing realities of the Nepali people today and they all have led to the bad governance. The issues of social disharmony and regional tensions are seriously cropping up these days around the country. If we look at the present state of social fabric in the Nepali society today, then, it forces us to doubt “are we actually reversing back to the pre-Prithvi Narayan Shah era?” The social problems surfaced in the country are the result of an absence of visionary and competent leadership. Although these problems have the social face, they are actually manifested by long economic hardships, poverty and imbalanced regional development. This is why, these threatening social issues can be addressed only through broad-based and balanced economic development that can be triggered by the visionary and unwavering leadership. It is a bitter reality that anti-corruption agencies around the world often have to face criticisms and blame rather than praises, and the CIAA is no exception More than five million Nepalese youths, who make almost one fifth of the total population of the country, have been working as laborers in various countries abroad. The unlimited energy and productive capabilities of these youths are certainly the greatest asset for the development of any country. If these youths had not been on foreign employment and instead, had been staying in the country, the Nepalese economy would have crumbled miserably. The remittances sent by these youths stand around 25 percent of our GDP and it has been the only element sustaining our fragile economy when the economic progress has virtually come to a standstill in these years. The figures of our imports are almost 12 times higher than how much we export. Inflation has reached nearly 12 percent thereby seriously damaging the purchasing power of the already impoverished people. The black marketeering has been growing to an extent that it has been assuming nearly the size of the legitimate economy. It is the responsibility of the political leadership to devise and execute the realistic economic roadmap so as to address and reverse these pathetic economic realities. Therefore a dedicated, visionary and competent political leadership is a must to ensure a smooth transition into the economic prosperity. However, it is unfortunate that nothing positive has been achieved on the economic development front even after the cessation of armed conflict and restoration of peace for over a decade. In all these years, a classical saying “old wine in new bottle” is being translated into a reality since the guards of the people are changing but not their attitude, approach and character. Amidst these mammoth challenges, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has been making its best efforts in all areas of public concern with an aim of controlling corruption, eliminating wrongdoings and establishing the rule of law and good governance. Realising the possibilities of anomalies in this chaotic period, the commission has intensified its watch over all organs and arms of the state and consequently, many incidences of corruption have been caught and exposed in its frequent crackdowns. The corrupt public officials are arrested red-handed with bribe by the Commission almost every day in course of their attempt of materializing their malafide transactions. It is a bitter reality that anti-corruption agencies around the world often have to face the criticisms and blames rather than the praises and the CIAA is no exception. In our own context, everyday one or the other allegation against the well-intended efforts of the Commission gets space in a handful of Nepalese media. Some of them paint the commission as if this has been the only obstacle that has been stopping the development works carried out at a great pace with the unflinching determination. Some other media present the commission as if it really acts against the spirit and needs of the people, and still others allege the Commission with one or the other fake and fictitious accusations. Sometimes sitting in silence and mulling-over these accusations, I try to reflect back “what, in reality, the commission has done against the national interests and therefore, such blames have been constantly made against it”? I introspect, is it really against the interests of the people to make efforts for ensuring transparency in the public offices? I also wonder, is it a grave mistake to investigate the public servants against whom the complaints of having amassed disproportionate property and serious corruption allegations abound? And at times, I cannot stop pondering whether we have really acted against the mandate of the commission by spearheading our efforts at curbing corruption and thereby trying to eliminate the ongoing lawlessness in the country. But my heart refutes all these blames straightaway as the commission has performed its roles strictly adhering to its legal mandate and its actions have always aimed at ensuring the transparency and financial discipline in the development works of the country. In fact, the commission has been doing its best to help speed up completion of development projects on time and ensure a complete financial transparency in the execution of those projects. Therefore, the blames made against the commission are nothing but the plots carefully crafted by people with evil intensions. Is it really against the interest of the people to make efforts to ensure transparency in the public offices? The burgeoning trend of seeking political inclination among the public servants by the political leaders for their promotions and other career opportunities has led to an excessive politicisation of the entire public service. Brushing aside the very spirit of the trade unionism, the existence of mushrooming trade unions as the sister organisations of the major political parties reveals the degree of politicisation of the public service in our country. They are largely responsible for the mounting indiscipline and ill-practices among the public servants. The accountability among the public servants for their performance has largely been absent due to the irresponsible preaching and backing of these trade unions. Influencing the public servants to carry the flags of the political parties is what these trade unions believe is their prime duty. Unless a culture of apolitical single trade unionism representing entire public servants comes into existence, the present state of bureaucratic chaos would not fade out from the Nepalese public service. Bureaucracy is the engine for implementing the policies and decisions of the government and it also provides important feedback to the functioning of the government. Therefore, a stable bureaucracy enables to run all the government systems efficiently even when there is a high degree of political instability. It is, however, unfortunate that the average tenure of a government secretary is less than 5 months in our country. More than the political, there is bureaucratic instability that has been a serious challenge for gearing up the development works.  But who is to blame for this? Only the politicians? Not at all, the bureaucrats are equally responsible for inviting the naked political interference and accepting a culture of political slavery in the bureaucracy. How is it possible for a mid-level government officer to have amassed millions of rupees in his not-so-long tenure of public association? What made it possible for the people with meager economic conditions some years back to climb up the ladder of economic fortunes to become a millionaire/billionaire in just some years down the line? Every ordinary Nepali brother and sister must start searching answers to these questions if we have to put an end to these serious malpractices any time around. In fact, some dozens influential persons have been developing cartels and nexuses in almost all sectors of the state including the economy in their pursuit of controlling every lucrative segment of the country. The extended reach and absolute control of a handful of business tycoons in Nepal must be an exceptional case in the entire world. They are the ones who control every sector including production, distribution, imports, exports, media, banks and financial institutions, share market, insurance business, industries, real estate, schools and colleges, hospitals and the list sees no end. While the Commission has been making efforts to fight corruption and establish good governance, some people and media have been struggling out of their skin to blame and discredit this institution If this trend of monopolisation and dominance is not sensed and checked on time, sooner than later it would result in the creation of a newer form of enslavement of the larger citizenry. The contributions of the business community in the national development have not been encouraging. They are seen always pressing for their rights but appear too greedy to fulfill any of their social responsibilities. Their tainted character is frequently exposed as the incidences of tax evasion and their exceptional cheating talents come into the limelight. Similarly, wearing the cover of civil society, some individuals have used their status as a means for making the unlimited wealth. In principle, civil society represents the non-partisan or apolitical persons and institutions that advocate for the rights and well-being of the ordinary people. However, in our country, the business persons who claim to be the veteran civil society leaders proudly represent political parties in the parliament and I believe - this is a serious insult to our democracy. Some self-declared enlightened persons who also claim to be the prominent civil society leaders are seen even carrying the flags of the political parties in the broad day light.  Time and again we have witnessed that for the sake of their murky intentions, they can go into any direction and can cross any limits. Civil society and business persons are almost the same in our context as both of them share a common characteristic feature that they are too good at giving bundles of advice to others but they themselves do nothing to fulfill their social responsibilities. In fact, evading taxes to the government is what they are skilled at. Having presented this darker side of the business community and civil society, there are also exceptions to this category but unfortunately they are too few in number. Leaving aside a few works, the contributions of the NGOs and INGOs have been largely unsatisfactory. For instance, a large number of these development agencies have been working in the field of poverty reduction. Unfortunately studies on the impact of the works of these agencies on the poverty stricken communities are not carried out in our country. They mobilize funds almost parallel to the budget of the government and if we really examine the actual changes these agencies have brought about through their so-called pro-poor interventions, then, nothing substantial appears. In fact, exploiting the immense resources meant to be spent for the downtrodden mass, a handful of people running these institutions have become landlords from streets and the affluent ones rising from scratch. I strongly believe and have repeatedly spoken in various forums that the funds of these agencies must be made transparent and an audit of their incomes and expenses has to be conducted in a systematic way. However, no progress has been made towards this end. Besides, their registration and supervision must be conducted in one-window system. If we learn from our next door neighbors India and Sri Lanka regarding their approach on dealing with these agencies and act with sincerity, it would augur well for the country. Today it has become imperative for us to stop these agencies from making the people and the Nepalese soil – subjects of their mysterious experimentations. The role of some bilateral development agencies in the development of infrastructure such as roads, irrigation, drinking water etc. is worth appreciating to some extent. Similarly, contribution of the multi-lateral development agencies in sectors such as education and health is also relatively praiseworthy. However, their contributions are also not up to the mark. The blames for these gaps must be shared by both the Government and the development agencies as the both have some weaknesses on their part. The government’s inability to reject the donor-driven approach in accepting the foreign aid, absolute control of donors over the development projects from the very inception to the completion phase and the opportunity for development agencies to carry out assessment of the projects on their own, represent helplessness of the government on the one hand and the donors’ defective approach, on the other. The extended reach and absolute control of a handful of business tycoons in Nepal must be an exceptional case in the entire world Amidst all these challenges, while the commission has been making its efforts to fight corruption and establish good governance, some people and media have been struggling out of their skin to blame and discredit this institution. Today, the people must know why these miscreants have been creating the plots to drag the Commission into them and spoil its impression among the people? In fact, this has been the institution that has been working in bold manner to foil grand conspiracies of these people of looting the state treasury and assassinating the people’s dream of a developed and prosperous Nepal. Investigating the corruption offenses taken place in the past and pointing fingers at the likely corruption offenses at present by the commission has really been the serious obstacle in their attempt of stealing the people’s bread and butter. Conclusion: It is evident that an organised racket of a few dozen influential persons from the social, economic, political and other arena has been sucking the resources of this country for decades. The power is centered at their hands to an extent that they can instantly make and repeal laws without much effort. They believe they can dictate the policy and decision making that affect the lives of millions of people.   They even think that whatever they speak become moral lessons for the hapless thirty million people. They believe they can convert the black into white and the white into black and also a day into night and the vice versa at their mere wish. And it is unfortunate that this belief is getting stronger every day. Besides, indiscipline and lawlessness in all areas of the national life have risen to such an extent that if we fail to address them on time, it would be too late to realise even the slightest developments in coming days; and economic prosperity shall remain a mere lip-service and a day-dream for us. The present Constitution of Nepal has cut down an arm of the commission in the form of the legal mandate to investigate the improper conducts of the public servants. They are not satisfied with this and even wish to split another arm of the commission rendering it not only functionless but immovable. Why the authority which has been enjoyed by the commission for 25 years since its establishment has been removed in this constitution speak volumes about the intention of the concerned authorities. When the commission is making its efforts everyday with renewed vigor and determination to contribute to the making of a prosperous Nepal, the hatching of conspiracies and making efforts to defame this institution and its leadership even from high levels is indeed disappointing. At times, these negativities generate anxieties in me for a while but hastily I pull myself together and get further stronger and determined; and even in these testing times, compromises are never acceptable to me. With a tremendous sense of pride in my heart, I would happily accept death than to kneel down before the coteries of corruption. I have made this small effort to uncover the real picture in areas of development, governance, public service and other critical cross-cutting issues. However, the reality is so vast and serious that the words in this article might have fallen short to portray the actual situation. Nevertheless I hope that the gesture of this article would be sufficient to awaken every patriotic citizen at the realities of the country. As the problems and bad practices encountered across various arenas of national life are talked about, I cannot simply escape without identifying and discussing the possible solutions. The country is endowed with matchless natural resources, scenic beauty and most importantly, the proud, optimistic and industrious people. Nepal, as the World’s second largest country in hydro potentials, is the rare opportunity for launching the waves of development. Therefore, I believe if we work with honesty, determination and hard-work, the perennial dream of an economically vibrant and prosperous Nepal is not difficult to realise.  Underdevelopment lies at the heart of all problems and therefore, rapid economic development is the only solution for addressing these problems. A visionary political leadership having an unquestionable determination for economic transformations can steer the country to realize this goal. Similarly, a professional and accountable bureaucracy is a must for improving the service delivery and speeding up the development works. For promoting professionalism and accountability in the bureaucracy, ending the culture of political interference and effectively implementing the reward and punishment system are the twin solutions. Similarly, the conduct of trade unions has to be brought within the contours of professionalism and their functioning must comply with the international practices of the trade unions. Regulation of I/NGOs has to be done strictly implementing the one-window system and the transparency in their budget should be ensured through systematic audit of their funds and resources. Besides, for strengthening the economic sector, focus should be paid on expanding the tax base, promoting tourism through development of adequate infrastructures and the massive development of hydro-projects and the transmission lines. The energy and skills of the Nepalese youths have become pillars in the development of the Gulf countries. But it is very disappointing that we have no work to ask for these industrious people and they have no opportunity to offer their precious skills and know-how for the development of this country. Therefore, the passion, productive capabilities and the skills of these youths have to be channeled in the development of the country through a national campaign for development. These are a few but actionable points that can help trigger rapid economic development in the country. The only obstacle we may face on this path is the growing lawlessness, indiscipline, cartelling and anarchy in the country. Therefore, there is no choice than to establish and implement the rule of law in the truest sense. More than the political, there is bureaucratic instability that has been a serious challenge for gearing up development works Today every honest Nepali must know that these groups have been constantly trying their best to weaken this institution and intimidate its leadership. However, as the Chief Commissioner of the CIAA, I would leave no stone unturned within my jurisdiction to defeat the evil intentions of this wealth-hungry syndicate. But the efforts of this institution alone may not be sufficient to defeat this powerful group. Carrying out effective investigation and prosecution against the corrupt ones is all the Commission can do according to its legal mandate. But if the people and the well-wishers of the country get united and protest their nasty plans, it will not be much difficult to defeat these groups and also the mindset of this kind. Furthermore, I reiterate my commitment that I shall not budge an inch in fulfilling my constitutional duty until the last moment. Bowing down my head with deep respect and profound belief, I wish for the gracious blessings from the Almighty and the people of Nepal to help me stay focused on my selfless service to the motherland. (The author is the Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Nepal) Key points to ponder

• An extreme economic distress, inequitable distribution of resources, imbalanced regional development and poor service delivery have become the crushing realities of the Nepali people today and they all have led to bad governance.
• Threatening social issues surfaced in the country can be addressed only through broad-based and balanced economic development that can be triggered by a visionary and unwavering leadership.
• The remittances sent by youths working as laborers in tough situations abroad stand around 25 percent of our GDP and it has been the only element sustaining our fragile economy when economic progress has virtually come to a standstill.
• In all these years, a classical saying “old wine in new bottle” is being translated into a reality since the guards of the people are changing but not their attitude, approach and character.
• Sometimes sitting in silence and mulling-over the accusations made against the Commission, I try to reflect back “what, in reality, the Commission has done against the national interests and therefore, such blames have been constantly made against it”?
• The blames made against the Commission are nothing but the plots carefully crafted by people with evil intensions.
• Brushing aside the very spirit of the trade unionism, the existence of mushrooming trade unions as sister organizations of the major political parties reveals the degree of politicization of public service in our country.
• Influencing the public servants to carry the flags of the political parties is what these trade unions believe is their prime duty.
• Unless a culture of apolitical single trade unionism representing entire public servants comes into existence, the present state of bureaucratic chaos would not fade out from the Nepalese public service.
• It is unfortunate that the average tenure of a government secretary is less than 5 months in our country. More than the political, there is bureaucratic instability that has been a serious challenge for gearing up development works.
• The bureaucrats are equally responsible for inviting the naked political interference and accepting a culture of political slavery in the bureaucracy.
• The extended reach and absolute control of a handful of business tycoons in Nepal must be an exceptional case in the entire world. If this trend of monopolization and dominance is not sensed and checked on time, sooner than later it would result in the creation of a newer form of enslavement of the larger citizenry.
• The tainted character of the business community is frequently exposed as the incidences of tax evasion and their exceptional cheating talents come into the limelight.
• In our country, the business persons who claim to be the veteran civil society leaders proudly represent political parties in the parliament and I believe - this is a serious insult to our democracy.
• Civil society and business persons are almost the same in our context as both of them share a common characteristic feature that they are too good at giving bundles of advice to others but they themselves do nothing to fulfill their social responsibilities.
• NGOs and INGOs mobilize funds almost parallel to the budget of the government and if we really examine the actual changes these agencies have brought about through their so-called pro-poor interventions, then, nothing substantial appears.
• I strongly believe and have repeatedly spoken in various forums that the funds of NGOs and INGOs must be made transparent and an audit of their incomes and expenses has to be conducted in a systematic way. Besides, their registration and supervision must be conducted in one-window system.
• Today it has become imperative for us to stop these agencies from making the people and the Nepalese soil – subjects of their mysterious experimentations.
• The government’s inability to reject the donor-driven approach in accepting the foreign aid, absolute control of donors over the development projects from the very inception to the completion phase and the opportunity for development agencies to carry out assessment of the projects on their own, represent helplessness of the government on the one hand and the donors’ defective approach, on the other.
• It is evident that an organized racket of a few dozen influential persons from the social, economic, political and other arena has been sucking the resources of this country for decades. They believe they can convert the black into white and the white into black and also a day into night and the vice versa at their mere wish. And it is unfortunate that this belief is getting stronger every day.
• Indiscipline and lawlessness in all areas of the national life have risen to such an extent that if we fail to address them on time, it would be too late to realize even the slightest developments in coming days; and economic prosperity shall remain a mere lip-service and a day-dream for us.
• Why the authority which has been enjoyed by the Commission for 25 years since its establishment has been removed in this Constitution speaks volume about the intention of the concerned authorities.
• Today, I reiterate my commitment that I shall not budge an inch in fulfilling my constitutional duty until the last moment. Bowing down my head with deep respect and profound belief, I wish for the gracious blessings from the Almighty and the people of Nepal to help me stay focused on my selfless service to the motherland.