DPM Shrestha meets locals to settle VDC allowances row

RAJBIRAJ, Nov 24: Deputy Prime Minister Naryankaji Shrestha, who had led a high-level team to Saptari to look into the alleged irregularities at District Development Office, has exposed a corruption case.



Shrestha, who is also the minister for local development, made a surprise visit to Bhairahawa VDC on Friday night after the issue of alleged irregularities at the DDO office was brought to his notice. [break]



Locals of Bhairahawa VDC have long been on the warpath against former VDC secretary Dev Narayan Sah accusing him of misusing funds meant for social security allowances.



Early in the day, Shrestha had obtained receipts signed by 21 elderly, single women and disabled people of Bhairahawa VDC, which showed that they had received their six months social security allowances for the period between mid-January, 2012 and mid-July, 2013.



However, all the people who were said to have signed the receipts informed the DPM that they had never received the allowances for the given period. They complained with DPM Shrestha that former VDC secretary had embezzled social security allowances by faking their signatures.



Later, DPM Shrestha instructed Saptari´s Local District Development Officer Krishna Prasad Adhikari to provide social security allowances to those elderly, single women and physically disabled people within a week.



Former VDC secretary Sah has reportedly gone out of contact.



The locals had long been carrying out series of protests, including blocking the East-West Highway against the misuse of fund. Sah has now been replaced by new VDC secretary Khilanath Pokharel. Shrestha was accompanied to Bhairahawa by Santa Bahadur Shrestha, secretary at the Ministry of Local Development.

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