DHANGADI, JUNE 23
There are suspicions of financial irregularities in the construction of an embankment in Dhangadi Sub-metropolitan City.
The Mohana-Khutiya Nala embankment is being constructed at a cost of two million rupees in ward 1 of the municipality. A consumer committee was formed for the project in April this year. The minutes containing the decision to form the Mohana-Khutiya Nala Embankment Consumer Committee was signed by 26 persons.
But locals are now complaining of fraud, saying their signatures were forged to form the committee without holding any discussion or informing them.
"We don't know that a consumer committee was formed, that too by using our signatures," said Nitu Nepali of Jayalaxmi Tole. The committee is headed by Lal Bahadur Thapa as its chairperson and Hemraj Joshi, Krishna BK, Dhana Bahadur Chanara and Nanda Thapa as its members. Nara Bahadur Shrestha and Sita Karki are mentioned as secretary and treasurer respectively.
On his part, consumer committee Secretary Shrestha argued that the committee had to be formed in a hurry keeping in view the imminent monsoon season.
"Except for a few people, we've informed everyone about the committee," he said.
Meanwhile, the locals have also demanded that workers for the embankment be used from the village itself. Responding to the demand, Shrestha said labourers had been sourced from the village itself.
Construction of the embankment that started about two weeks ago is stipulated to be completed by the end of the current fiscal. The embankment, once finished, is expected to give relief to people who have been suffering from erosion year in and year out.
Locals have also demanded that the fund for the project be spent transparently and quality work be ensured. The project is being constructed under former MP Naradmuni Rana's Local Infrastructure Partnership Programme.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 24 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
