Sindhulimadhi, March 10

Local political party leaders have accused officials of different projects launched by Water Induced Disaster Management Division, Janakpur, in Sindhuli of financial irregularities.

Party leaders accused officials at the office, including division chief and engineers, of involvement in financial irregularities in connivance with consumer committees.

They claimed irregularities worth over Rs 40 million had taken place in the district. They added that consumer committees of various projects were formed to serve vested interests of few stakeholders, by exaggerating technical estimates.

NC CWC member Dinesh Adhikari said irregularities were seen in projects related to Sunkoshi, Dhamile Khola and conservation of Dumja's Kusheswor Mahadev temple. "Consumer committees were formed without meeting standard criteria, and most committee members were those close to the projects' major stakeholders," claimed Adhikari. He said he had filed a case at the concerned ministry claiming the consumers' committees were formed without due protocol.

Meanwhile, local leaders of CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-UML have expressed dissatisfaction with the division's working style.

UML Sindhuli district committee member Parbati Bhattarai accused the division of misusing budget. "The division has allocated budget for projects unilaterally," Bhattarai said.

CPN-Maoist Centre district member Pukar Neupane demanded that the division’s work be stopped immediately and action be sought against the division chief.

Similarly, Nepali Congress district member Mahes Khatiwada claimed that irregularities had taken place in Marin Khola control project.

Sindhuli Chief District Officer Tara Bahadur Karki said he had called an-all party meeting to discuss the issue. Divisional Engineer Sudhanand Jha, however, refuted the allegation and said they were working in line with the law of the land.