Special Committee members Ram Sharan Mahat, Minendra Rijal and Ishwar Pokharel raised the issue during the meeting of the Special Committee on Monday, arguing that the committee cannot ignore the alleged corruption in the cantonments that has already been raised within the UCPN (Maoist) and by the media. [break]
"The Special Committee should be concerned about such a big issue and take a decision on the corruption that took place in the cantonments under the Special Committee," Mahat told media persons emerging from the Special Committee meeting, "There should be an impartial investigation."
Mahat further said, "We have raised this issue in the meeting. This is just an initial step. We will hold further discussions on the matter."
Though the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had long been accusing the UCPN (Maoist) of embezzling the money released for allowance and ration for the combatants, corruption in the cantonments was exposed after the completion of the second phase of categorization in March.
After the second phase of categorization, around 2,600 combatants were found missing though the government was releasing allowances and rations in their names. The issue flared up after the retiring combatants demanded transparency in the PLA fund where they had deposited a small portion of their salary every month and asked their commanders to return their money. An estimated 3 billion rupees is believed to have been embezzled in all the cantonments.
Mahat said they have demanded that the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction make available the details of the money released for the combatants and the cantonments from the state coffers in the next meeting of the Special Committee.
"We will hold further talks on the issue after we get details from the concerned ministry. The prime minister is ready to discuss the issue," said Mahat.
Similarly, Special Committee member and CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel told media persons that the issue of corruption in the cantonments should be taken up by the state as it is not the issue of a party only.
"The issue will be discussed in the next meeting with more facts," said Pokharel.
The issue was formally raised in the Special Committee a day after the central working committee members of the Nepali Congress asked the party leadership to form a committee to "expose alleged policy corruption" by the UCPN (Maoist) and the government, including the corruption in the cantonments.
Participants of the UCPN (Maoist) plenum held in June had also raised the issue of corruption in the cantonments. The party had then formed a three-member panel headed by Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati to probe the allegations.
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