LALITPUR: About 20 verdicts in cases of irregularities and corruption referred by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) for action are yet to be looked into even in five years.

According to the MoLD, the CIAA issued the 20 verdicts on cases on irregularities in the ministry and local bodies within the last five years. The anti-graft body had ordered the ministry to implement the decisions within three months of the verdicts being issued.

“However, the instructions of the CIAA on 18 decisions are yet to be looked into,” said Suraj Ghimire, an official at the Human Resource and Internal Management Section of the MoLD. Ghimire, who is also a former staff of the CIAA, said, “Only two decisions were implemented in the ministry within the past five years.”

The MoLD had been directed to take departmental action — including warnings dismissals, recovery of embezzled funds and suggestions. Among the 20 decisions of the CIAA, 12 belong to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone, two to Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City and one each to Salyan District Development Committee, Sarlahi DDC, Darchula DDC and Mahottari.

Deepak Koirala, deputy executive chief at the KMC, said, “We have forwarded the process for other cases.” “Action was delayed due to complexities in the procedure.”

“There are about 100 cases under scrutiny in the MoLD. They include 20 referred by the CIAA, five by the Office of the Prime Minister and three by the National Alertness Centre,” Ghimire said.

Bhavanath Dawadi, an official looking into

the CIAA cases at the MoLD, said the process

to take action was on. “We are working to act on the cases,” he said.

Irregularities

• Rs 1,528,800 and Rs 1,742,001 to be recovered from Anak Construction and Santoshi Construction, Pokhara

• Unaudited Rs 6,403,358 to be recovered from Hans Raj Bajracharya, ward chairman, KMC-8

• Rs 30,000 to be recovered from salary of Er Suresh Harsha Bajracharya, KMC

• Rs 54,000 from ward chairman Rajiv Joshi for embezzling advance budget to construct sewerage at Bakhundole, Jwagal, KMC since 2007

• 11 plots of public land encroach at Ranibari, KMC since 2007

• Encroachment of some 12 ropanies of land at Bhimsengola, KMC-34 since 2008

• Removal of huts from public land in KMC-15

• Uma Devi Shrestha of KMC-1 for encroaching road since 2008

• KMC staff Ram Kumar Karki, in-charge of revenue collection at Thankot for embezzlement

• Encroachment of public shelter-house at Bangemudha, KMC-28 since 2009

• Misuse of planning budget in Salyan DDC since 2009

• VDC secretary Nabal Kishor Shah for embezzling social security funds in Sarlahi since 2009

• Misuse of DRILP project fund in Darchula against LDO Danda Pani Baral, Lalu Giri, Hira Lal Chaudhari, Bishnu Datta Bhatta, Keshav Raj Bhatta, Jayanti Bhatta. Action taken against LDO Baral only

• Sub Er Prabin Karki of Khalanga Range Post in Salyan for corruption

• Shiva Ram Pandey and Ram Prasad Shah of Gaushala in Mahottari for embezzling Rs 1 million in Mahottari since 2008