Two such DFOs have confided to Republica that they received such offers. The deputation of 25 DFOs to districts known for notorious timber smuggling, and that too despite stiff resistance from Forest Ministry Secretary Keshav Bhattarai and other senior ministry officials lends a lot of credence to such allegations.
Moreover, the minister also flouted a provision under which he should have sought approval from The Ministry of General Administration before transferring DFOs who have served less than two years in a particular district. Nor has Musalman offered justification for the transfer of the two dozen-plus DFOs.
And this is not the first time that Minister Musalman has illegally transferred officials. Only a few days after assuming office, he removed Director General at the Department of Forests, Annapurna Das, after the latter and Secretary Bhattarai refused to auction 200 tons of illegal red sandalwood seized by the government. It is alleged that Musalman wanted to award the sandalwood auction bids to two businessmen close to himself.
The minister has not justified Das’ removal either. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, immediately after assuming office, had promised that no government official would be transferred for no reason and asked officials to work with full honesty and sincerity. But even Prime Minister Bhattarai has failed to stop Das’ transfer though the latter and Secretary Bhattarai had jointly met him and apprised him about the undue pressure from the minister to auction the red sandalwood.
There are a growing number of complaints from top bureaucrats about interventions and unnecessary pressure from their ministers. A couple of secretaries from different ministries have already met the prime minister and apprised him of such undue pressure from the political leadership and of growing irregularities.
Though Prime Minister Bhattarai intervened at the last minute and stopped the transfer of Ministry of Forest Secretary Keshav Bhattarai, he seems careful not to anger his ministers too much. He has already conceded in public that he expanded his cabinet to 49, making it the largest in Nepal’s history, as there were efforts from within his party to pull down his government.
A prime minister as insecure as him is unlikely to muster the courage to rein in his corrupt ministers. But we wish to caution him that he may end up saving neither his government nor his credibility if he keeps on making compromises.
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