The national anti-graft body said its investigation uncovered anomalies at local levels with the direct involvement of party leaders and cadres who share all-party mechanisms, and so decided to dissolve such mechanisms comprising various political parties.[break]
"Our investigation explicitly shows the hand of local party mechanisms in all levels of corruption taking place in various development works carried out by local bodies," admitted CIAA Spokesperson Ishwari Paudel, adding, "We interrogated several stakeholders concerning local level anomalies and those we grilled disclosed that corruption was possible only with the support and involvement of all-party mechanisms. Based on these findings, the commission directed the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) to scrap the local mechanisms."
Only recently, the CIAA had deployed a team in six districts of the eastern Tarai--Mahottari, Sarlahi, Siraha, Dhanusha, Saptari, Rautahat-- to probe alleged irregularities within district development committees, municipalities and village development committees in those districts.
The CIAA found that Mahottari district alone has unsettled accounts of about Rs 750 million. Unsettled accounts in the rest of the districts investigated by the commission amount to not less then Rs 400 million.
"Our investigation shows that the all-party mechanisms and consumer committees formed by such mechanisms have long been denying any responsibility for the anomalies," Paudel said, adding,"How can they avoid possible action to be taken by the CIAA since corruption was made possible only with their involvement? If they are to avert such irregularities, there must either be mechanisms ready to take all responsibility for their decisions or new mechanisms created that meet the spirit of the Interim Constitution and are ready to bear all responsibilities."
The local level all-party mechanisms were formed two and half years ago under the decisions of the then local development minister.
"The mechanisms are found not to have been formed as per the spirit of Article 139 of the Interim Constitution," reads the CIAA decision, adding, "MoLD should have formulated policies making such mechanisms accountable for their deeds-- whether good or corrupt. But the mechanisms were given the right not to be liable for their deeds and as a result the commission cannot now take any action against such mechanisms."
The CIAA has also asked the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and MoLD to form local mechanisms, clearly defining the work, duties, rights and responsibilities of such mechanisms.
Concluding that most of the consumer committees formed by the party mechanisms were dominated by local party cadres and not by genuine local consumers, the CIAA has also directed MoLD to scrap such committees.
The anti-graft watchdog also instructed MoLD to form new consumer committees, clearly defining their work, duties, rights and responsibilities. "Form new consumer committees, formulate directives and bring them into implementation within 15 days as directed by the commission," states the CIAA decision.
The CIAA has further instructed MoLD not to include party cadres in the consumer committees, to release payments only after assessing the quality of work done by the committees, not to make payments in haste at the end of the fiscal year, and to release final payments only after carrying out auditing and holding public hearings, among other things.
For the past few years, the government has been allocating Rs 44 billion for local bodies. This fiscal year, Rs 44.5 billion was allocated. Apart from government funds, 14 various foreign donors have been providing US$ 161.5 million in funds under the Local government and Community Development Programme covering the period 2008-2012.
There has not been local body elections since 2002.
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