DHARAN, AUGUST 12

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse and Authority today raided BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences in Dharan, Sunsari.

The anti-graft body's raid comes in the wake of a protracted agitation by doctors against irregularities at the famed health institute in the east. A seven-member joint team from the anti-graft body's central office and its Itahari-based regional office carried out the raid.

According to SSP Tek Bahadur Tamang, who led the investigation team, documents related to purchases, construction and power supply have been confiscated.

The CIAA is also interrogating chiefs of various departments and divisions.

"We will investigate all sorts of irregularities that have happened at the institute over the years," said SSP Tamang.

Alleging that irregularities at the institute have escalated after Dr Mohan Chandra Regmi was appointed registrar and that other office bearers too have failed to run the institute in a healthy manner, doctors and staff at the institute have been agitating for the past two months demanding the resignation of all four office bearers and action against one and all involved in irregularities.

Earlier, in relation too irregularity allegations, an inquiry committee led by the Office of the Council of Ministers Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal had been set up, and the committee had investigated the allegations of irregularities. In its report made public, the committee confirmed massive irregularities on different fronts.

As per the report, financial irregularities were played out during the construction of residential quarters, renting-out land to a private school and purchase of machines and health equipment, among others.

Besides, a talks team set up by the Ministry of Health had also held talks with the institute's agitating students and staffers and agreed to sack all four office bearers as a measure to resolve the problems facing the institute to save it.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 13 2021, of The Himalayan Times.