Sindhulimadi, January 10

VDC secretaries of Sindhuli district have been accused of embezzling the relief amount meant for earthquake victims.

The government had offered Rs 10,000 to each of the victim families to buy warm clothes.

A complaint had been lodged against VDC secretary Kamal

Lama at the District Development Committee as he had distributed Rs 7,500 only to each quake victims’ family at Amale and Bastipur VDCs.

One of the victims, Thala Prasad Devkota at Amale VDC, said Lama had cheated the victims by offering Rs 7500 instead of Rs 10,000. “The government employee has tricked us to sign the bill,” he added.

Local Development Officer Shiva Humagain said that his office would recommend to the Government that action be taken against Lama. He said that he had

instructed the secretaries to work under the decision and policy of the state.

Meanwhile, Lama accepted his mistake saying that he had distributed Rs 2,500 less to the quake victims of Amale and Bastipur VDCs. “The remaining amount was distributed among the fake quake victims under the local political parties’ pressure,” he said. He further informed that he did not keep the amount for himself.

Issuing a statement today, Mohan Baidhya-led CPN Maoist (Revolutionary) said that the VDC secretaries had embezzled the relief amount which the government had offered to the real quake victims to buy warm clothes.

The party has demanded, through the statement, strict action against Lama, among others, who were involved in such irregularities. The party has also claimed that the sectaries of Netrakali, Sateshwori and Tamajore VDCs too had embezzled the relief amount.