KATHMANDU, Dec 7: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a graft-case against 21 individuals including Bikram Pandey, former minister and chairman of Kalika Construction, over the Sikta Irrigation project.

The anti-graft body, in its charge-sheet, has accused Pandey of embezzling Rs 2,137,679,920  by using low quality materials in the under-construction national Sikta Irrigation project. Pandey was the Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation. 

Similarly, the anti-graft body has also filed a graft-case against Sikta Project Chief Saroj Chandra Pandit,  accusing him of misappropriating Rs 593,452,594.03 during the project construction.

The others facing graft-case charges include Ramesh Basnet (Rs 2137679920.31), Dilip Bahadur Karki (Rs 1,568,283,199.18), Shushil Chandra Devkota (Rs 585924719.28), Shyam Bahadur Karki (Rs 523665150. 75), Surya Dev Thapa (Rs 272259321.06), Yogendra Mishra (Rs 272259321.06), Krishana Prasad (Rs 17,08, 43, 605.82), Prem Raj Ghimire (Rs 104015343.13), Bir Singh Dhami (Rs 11 85 59, 745. 73), Prakash Bahadur Karki (Rs 9, 0152, 713. 47) and Uddhav Raj Chaulagain (Rs 24055872.90).

The graft-case has been filed against them in line with the Clause 8 (4) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002. 

Around 35 kilometers of the  concrete barrier of the channel had broken down during its trial period long before completion. Below is the list of those involved in the irregularities of the Sikta project.

 
• Bikram-Pandy
 
• sikta_irrigation
 
• corruption