GAURIGUNJ: Local political party leaders have taken money to buy mobile phone sets for themselves from the budget of Jhapa’s Khajurgachhi VDC.

Bartalal Rajbanshi of the Sadbhawana Party, Nandaraj Thapa of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Mahananda Yadav of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Ghanashyam Yadav of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and Chandra Oli of the UCPN-Maoist have misused the VDC budget.

According to Chandra Mohan Singh, secretary of the VDC, he allocated Rs 3,000 for each member on the basis of a decision taken at a meeting of the eight political parties in the VDC office. “I only obeyed the decision of the party leaders to buy mobile telephone sets from the VDC budget,” he said.