Anti-graft body to act tough against errant ministries

Kathmandu, September 26:

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today decided to seek explanations from many government authorities and ministries for flouting its directives and suggestions.

The Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare are on the CIAA list for not abiding by its directives regarding

corruption and irregularities. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), District Administration Office Kathmandu, Kathmandu Metropolitan City and other institutions are also on the CIAA list.

“We had directed the NOC to provide cooking gas for household and business purpose on separate prices. But the NOC is ignoring our directives,” CIAA acting chief commissioner Lalit Bahadur Limbu said.

“We will seek explanation and take departmental action if they do not bring about changes in their activities,” he added. The CIAA also decided to seek explanations from the responsible officers of these institutions as to why the CIAA directions were not followed.

Limbu said that some institutions have been following the CIAA directives by forming good governance units.

“Some government officials are deliberately trying to overlook our directives because they don’t want corruption to be brought under control in real sense,” he added.

The constitutional body also directed the National Vigilance Centre to furnish the list of names of the government officials who are not submitting their property details as demanded by the law.

CIAA has also found that the government bodies are not developing codes of conduct to control corruption and other irregularities.

“We are also monitoring whether or not the government institutions have developed code of conducts as per our directives,” the CIAA said.