KATHMANDU, Feb 10: A letter from Dhakari Rural Municipality in Achham accusing the Road Board Nepal (RBN) of demanding a 10 percent commission has rattled senior officials at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT).
In the letter dated February 2, the rural municipality not only alleged that the board sought a commission to release funds but also declared that it would not accept the allocated budget.
The RBN, a government body responsible for road maintenance, had approved Rs 1,080,000 for road repair works in Dhakari for the fiscal year 2025/26. However, Dhakari Rural Municipality Chairperson Prakash Bahadur Saud wrote to the board stating that the amount could not be implemented.
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“This is to inform you that the amount of Rs 1,080,000 approved by your office for road maintenance work for fiscal year 2025/26 cannot be implemented,” the letter states. “Furthermore, as your office has been demanding a 10 percent commission while releasing payment for the project, it will create additional problems. Therefore, the allocated amount is not acceptable to this municipality.”
According to MoPIT, the board has allocated Rs 1 billion in the current fiscal year for road maintenance across municipalities nationwide. The rural municipality claimed that RBN employees had demanded a 10 percent commission per project from the allocated funds.
“We had proposed Rs 2.5 million. Only Rs 1 million was sent. On top of that, a 10 percent commission was demanded,” Saud said. “I sent a reply asking why such an amount was necessary.” He, however, declined to name the employee who allegedly demanded the commission.
As per legal provisions, the MoPIT Secretary serves as the chairperson of the RBN. Secretary Keshav Sharma said the board has taken the allegation seriously.
“We held internal discussions and conducted inquiries into who might have demanded the commission, but the chairperson did not disclose the individual’s name,” Sharma said. “As soon as the name is revealed, we will take immediate action.”
Sharma added that since the name has not been disclosed, the allegation could also be retaliatory in nature, though the board continues to investigate the matter.
The RBN, established to oversee road maintenance nationwide, receives funding from the Ministry of Finance and collects revenue through road levies, which it distributes annually to local governments.
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