Also, no government agency has formally issued instructions to the public utility to provide the VIPs with the three Prado jeeps. [break]
Speaking at a press meet organized at the NEA Tuesday, NEA Managing Director Dr Jivendra Jha said, “We find that the three vehicles have been provided to the VIPs on the basis of verbal orders from the government. There is no record of the NEA board taking any decision over this.”
However, Jha added that since the NEA is a state-run institution, it has to abide by government instructions.
NEA says that jeeps with plate numbers Lu 1 Cha 7721, Ba 6 Cha 1025 and Ba 5 Cha were provided to Bhattarai, Deuba and Oli respectively. While Bhattarai is using an older model, the two latest-model jeeps were given to Deuba (one and half years ago) and Oli (some 11 months back).
Moreover, NEA is also meeting fuel costs of up to 240 liters per month for ex-PM Deuba. As per NEA rules, only the energy minister is entitled to such a facility. All the other NEA officials enjoy the privilege of up to 120 liters of fuel a month. Bhattarai and Oli, however, do not get any fuel from NEA.
Jha claimed that for the first time NEA has sought Rs 12.5 million from the government as dues for three other Prados. One of them (Ba 6 Cha 1030) is used by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and cost Rs 10.02 million.
- Bhattarai, Deuba and Oli given jeeps on verbal order
- Govt due over Rs 12.5 million
- Deuba´s fuel cost borne by NEA
- NEA has 457 light, 722 heavy vehicles
- To import 25 vehicles from India
The balance of Rs 2,300,000 is to be collected as tax for the other two jeeps (Ba 6 Cha 1028 and Ba 6 Cha 1029) provided to the government as per the then PM´s orders in July 2008. Jha informed that the government has paid Rs 18 million so far for these two vehicles.
NEA has also provided five vehicles to the Energy Ministry. Administration in charge at NEA Tika Ram BC said NEA has initiated the process to collect cost price for the latest-model vehicles and deficit cost for the older ones.
NEA currently has 547 vehicles in its possession, of which 491 are in use and the remaining 56 are broken down. Similarly, with 643 functioning heavy vehicles and 79 worn-out ones, it has 722 heavy vehicles (mini-trucks, trucks, cranes, etc.) in total. Jha said that NEA is planning to import another 25 vehicles from India.
“Most of the old vehicles cannot be repaired. We are still using some vehicles whose deficit cost now is Rs 1,” BC said. He added, “Only those vehicles will be repaired whose repair cost will not exceed Rs 400,000.”
In its last fiscal report, NEA had posted a loss of Rs 12 billion.
CIAA returns vehicle
After trade union members at NEA seized Oli´s vehicle some six days back when it was brought to NEA premises for minor repairs, the CIAA (Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority) returned a vehicle (Ba 4 Cha 2998) to NEA Tuesday.
The vehicle was provided to the CIAA in April 2002 from among those that were returned from the Kali Gandaki A project, as per the board´s 368th meeting.
The trade union members have demanded that NEA authorities make transparent all particulars concerning vehicles provided to politicians and the government.
“The state has engaged in unnecessary interference and misused NEA vehicles,” Bal Kumar Shrestha of the NEA Employees´ Welfare Council said at the press meet. He accused NEA officials of “dancing to the tune of politicians” in order to remain in their posts.
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