Kathmandu, February 5:

The National Vigilance Centre (NVC) continued its surprise checks in government offices for the fifth day today. Three NVC teams simultaneously visited two ministries — Finance and Forest and Soil Conservation — and the Office of Transport Management (OTM) and informed the officials concerned about the absence of employees and irregularities in their respective offices.

The surprise checks were carried out as part of the government’s effort to keep a tab on the government offices prone to corruption and find out whether or not they were delivering services regularly.

Thirty-two employees were found absent in the Finance Ministry at 10:15 am, five at Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and 15 at the OTM. The team also found out that brokers were encroaching the official tasks at OTM. It also found that someone else than the designated person was carrying out health check ups for driving licences.

The offices assured the NVC teams of bringing abo-ut changes within 15 days.