Far-west provincial MPs enjoying house rent allowance

DOTI: Like the Members of Parliament in the federal capital, members of the provincial assembly of Far-west province are also found to be illegally drawing house rent allowance even though they own a house in Dhangadhi, the temporary capital of the province.

According to the provincial Parliament Secretariat, 11 Members of Provincial Assembly have been taking the monthly house rent allowance despite owning a house in Kailali. And those include NC’s Dilliraj Pant, Tek Bahadur Raika, Dibyaswari Shah, Bharat Bahadur Khadka, Devraj Pathak and CPN-Maoist Centre’s Birman Chaudhary, Sushila Budathoki, Dirgha Sodari, Nepalu Chaudhary, Chun Kumari Chaudhary and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal’s Malamati Rana.

All the members of the provincial assembly are enjoying the house rent allowance except the speaker, deputy speaker and chief minister, who have housing facility.

Chief Minister of the Province Trilochan Bhatta denied being officially informed about the irregularity.

The members of parliament draw between Rs 20,000 to 17,000 per month as housing rent allowance. Likewise, all the MPs have also received a lump sum amount of Rs 100,000 for furnishing their quarters.

Secretary at the Parliament Secretariat Balram Sharma said the housing rent allowance has been provided to all the MPs as per the regulation. No MP has informed about having a house in Dhangadi.