According to a highly placed source, Health Minister Umakanta Chaudhary has been pressing ministry officials to send a proposal to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) seeking financial assistance of Rs 100 million for his near and dear ones. [break]
"The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has already blocked the move and warned Minister Chaudhary not to send such a proposal without following proper procedures," a source at the Health Ministry told myrepublica.com, adding, "He, however, is still trying to dole out money to his near and dear under the pretext of financial assistance."
Suspecting possible misappropriation, the anti-graft body directed government authorities nearly two months ago not to release any amount as sought by Minister Chaudhary, who had submitted a proposal to the cabinet seeking release of nearly Rs 100 million under a financial assistance head.
Ministry officials informed that Chaudhary, who has been attending his office almost daily even after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned, has been pressing them to take controversial decisions.
Recently, he reshuffled the responsibilities of the secretaries after Secretary Sudha Sharma refused to take a controversial decision. She was replaced by another secretary, Prabin Mishra, in Chaudhary´s interest.
- Minister Chaudhary presses officials to submit financial assistance proposal worth of Rs 100 million
- DPM Gachchhadar doled out nearly Rs 100 million for projects in his districts
- Minister Alam presses secretary to transfer officials for refusing him bribes
- Ministers from Tarai press home minister to retract criminal cases
"He has also been pressing us to transfer dozens of officials from one office to another within the ministry without following proper procedures," a senior official told myrepublica.com.
Flouting CIAA´s recent decision, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Planning and Works Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has distributed millions of rupees following the fall of the Nepal-led government.
Though senior officials did not comment officially, one senior official said, "I cannot say the exact amount doled out. But I have calculated that nearly Rs 200 million was doled out recently for various projects in the Tarai." Most of what was doled out went to Gachchhadar´s two districts, Sunsari and Morang.
"The caretaker prime minister, deputy prime ministers or ministers cannot take vital decisions. They can only take urgent decisions," says former secretary Khem Raj Nepal, adding, "But the lack of law in this regard is the reason for these incidents occurring time and again."
He also stressed the need to formulate a law and ban caretaker ministers from taking any major decisions.
Minister for Labor and Transport Management Mohammad Aftab Alam has been pressing Secretary Dinesh Hari Adhikari hard to transfer Director General of the Department of Transport Management Binod Adhikari and other officials at the earliest.
On Sunday, Minister Alam verbally abused Adhikari for not doing as he ordered. Sources claimed that Minister Alam was furious with Adhikari after Adhikari refused to give a bribe.
"He is pressing Secretary Adhikari and other top officials to take controversial decisions. But Secretary Adhikari has been flatly refusing to take any controversial decision, citing legal provisions. And our collective efforts have saved huge amounts from being embezzled by Minister Alam," said a source on condition of anonymity.
Some secretaries have already informed the Prime Minister´s Office about the pressure they have come under from caretaker ministers since the last one week.
A source at the Ministry of Home Affairs said caretaker ministers from the Tarai have been pressing Home Minister Bhim Rawal to retract murder and arson cases at the last moment.
"But our minister turned a deaf ear to their illegal demands," said an official at the ministry. According to the source, Deputy Prime Minister Gachchhadar and Minister Rajendra Mahato among others have been pressing the home minister to retract criminal cases.
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