PAC tells govt to reveal names of bureaucrats

Kathmandu, March 3

Public Account Committee (PAC) today directed the Ministry of Supplies (MoS) and National Trading Ltd (NTL) to disclose the names of bureaucrats who allowed the land owned by the government-owned enterprise to be leased.

PAC also directed MoS and NTL not to sell the land owned by the enterprise to any private company. The committee has directed the MoS to submit a brief on NTL's financial status and to recommend a modality to rectify the problem facing the loss-making enterprise.

NTL was created by the government in 1962 to manage Nepal’s trade.

On May 30, 2010, NTL signed an agreement with Infinity Infrastructure, a construction company, leasing its 142,204 sq feet land at Ramshah Path.

In July 2010, however, the PAC ordered NTL to stop any construction until further decision was taken citing 'tactical and legal problems'.

Following PAC’s direction, NTL started to lease the same land to other parties — Khaptad Suppliers and Yogamber Auto Centre.

PAC is of the view that MoS should never sell the land to any private company as the land is located right in front of Singhadurbar, the main administrative centre of the country.

The PAC, however, has suggested that the government can sell the land to a government agency.

The lawmakers have asked for name-list of all the officials who had signed the deals to lease the land illegally over the years.