Misuse of government’ funds in the name of financial aid

KATHMANDU, Aug 7: At a time when the country is facing economic recession, the government has doled out financial aid worth Rs 27.5 million in two months. According to the decision of the Council of Ministers, the amount worth Rs 3.5 million in mid-May and Rs 24 million in mid-July was distributed under the name of financial assistance.

President Ramchandra Paudel has received Rs 5.52 million - the highest financial assistance provided to a person in the last two months. At the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government has provided financial aid to the President through the decision of the Council of Ministers made in June. “According to the decision of the Cabinet meeting of the Government of Nepal on June 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released to pay the expenses of the President's trip to India for a health check-up,” according to the details of the provided assistance.

Dhammawati Shakya is the priest of Dharmakirti Bihar in Kathmandu who has received the lowest amount of financial aid while the President has received the highest amount of financial aid. Shakya has been provided Rs 65,672. The financial aid is provided in an unequal and uneven way. There are altogether 70 people who have received financial assistance within the last two months.

The government had already distributed Rs 54.6 million as financial assistance to 139 people from mid-June  to mid-December last year. The government has provided financial assistance of Rs 2.7 million to the top leader of Bhutanese refugee and rights activist Tek Nath Rijal, who is currently in jail for allegedly being involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam case.

According to the decision of the Council of Ministers meeting held on October 20, 2022, a financial assistance of  Rs 2.5 million was provided to former President Ram Baran Yadav for medical expenses. Last November, Jhala Nath Khanal, former Prime Minister and a leader of CPN (Unified Socialist) Party, received financial aid worth Rs 2 million.

Even though the government has announced that various expenditures are being cut down stating that the country is in economic recession, it has been found that money has been distributed to the leaders of the political parties including the President in the form of financial aid. Ram Chandra Jha of the  CPN (Unified Socialist) received a financial aid of about Rs 500,000. Likewise, Rs 500,000 has also been given to former attorney general Borna Bahadur Karki. Similarly, around Rs 1 million has been provided to the family of Padam Kumar Limbu, who died in the agitation conducted against the naming of Koshi Province.

Similarly, Bed Prasad Pandey of Madhuwan, Bardiya, disappeared during the Maoist conflict and his family has also been provided financial assistance up to Rs 1 million. Most of them who went missing in the Maoist conflict have been given financial aid between Rs 100,000 and Rs 500,000.

Most of those who went missing during  the Maoist conflict hailed from Dadeldhura, Chitwan, Surkhet, Kanchanpur, Syangja, Khotang, Baitadi and other districts.

According to sources, a financial aid of Rs 3.5 million was provided to eight people in mid-May and Rs 25 million was provided to 62 people in mid-July. Out of 70 people, former foreign secretary Hira Bahadur Thapa has been provided Rs 700,000, Ram Chandra Jha of Dhanusha has been given Rs 500,000. Similarly, a financial aid worth Rs 300,000 has been given to Dil Kumari Rawal of Mangalpur-5,Chitwan,  Siddhanta Chaudhary of Bardiya got Rs 300,000, Lila Devi Basnet of Gorkha received Rs 300,000, Bhawana Chand of Baitadi got Rs 300,000.

Sher Bahadur Singh of Kailali received Rs 5000 as financial assistance. About Rs 400,000 was given to Prakash Sharma, Rs 400,000 to Bijay Rijal and Rs 400,000 to Durga Khanal.

Similarly, Rs 400,000 was given to Rupa Khatiwada, Rs 400,000 to Kokila Khati, Rs 300,000 to Mishri Maya Lauwa. Likewise, an amount of Rs 500,000 was provided to the family of Pramod Banjade in financial aid, Rs 500,000 was given to Manju Dhamal, Ekendra Tamang received 300,000 , Himakant Bhusal was provided Rs 500,000. Also, Chetan Timilsena has been given Rs 300,000, Indira Thapaliya received Rs 200,000, Bal Bahadur BK  got Rs 200,000  and Kalpana Thapa received Rs 200,000 as financial aid.

Similarly, Rs 200,000 to Amrit Rawat, Rs 300,000 to Jaya Bahadur Gharti, Rs 200,000 to Sabitri Paudel, Rs 200,000 to Khem Bahadur Darji, Rs 100,000 to Om Prakash Adhikari, Rs 200,000 to Harimaya Adhikari, Rs 100,000 to Bhim Bahadur Malla, Rs 200,000 to Pramila Maya Majhi, Rs 200,000 to Hussain Bux, Rs 200,000 to Sachitra Sharma.  Kabita Thapa Magar was given Rs 300,000, Sharda Regmi was provided Rs 300,000, Jagat Bishwakarma got Rs 300,000. Prakash Singh Mahat has been given Rs 300,000. Likewise, Shanti Devi Sharma, Dewaki Bhatta, Chhatra Bahadur Ale, Lok Bahadur Dhanuk, Yogesh Gurung, Santosh Bhatta, Shivi Doli, Kabi Raj Thami, Hansaraj Panta, Tara Devi Bhatta, Bhim Bahadur Bista, Thaneshwar Bhul have been given financial aid worth Rs 200,000 respectively.

Similarly, Deepak Raj Pandey, Kamal Singh Malla, Baburam Rai, Dharma Devi Maha, Mahesh Dutta Bhatta, Ghyukumari BC, Dinesh Sunar, Khem Raj Bhatta, Krishna Kumari have been provided financial aid around Rs 100,000. Also,  Kumari Khatri, Kalak Bahadur Thapa, Krishna Bahadur Lamichhane, Megh Raj Sharma have been given financial aid worth Rs 300,000.  The financial assistance of around Rs 500,000 has been provided to the family of Avinash Rajbhar, a resident of Pratappur, who was shot dead by the armed police.

According to the information provided by the Prime Minister's Office sources, financial aid was distributed to those who died, injured and disappeared during the agitation on the recommendation of various political parties.

President Paudel receives highest amount financial aid worth Rs 5.5 million

President Ramchandra Paudel has taken the highest amount of financial assistance for medical expenses. He has received Rs 5.5 million from the fund of the government in the last two months. He took the aid for the expenses of his treatment in Delhi from the government.

After widespread criticism from the general public, he also announced that he would not take any financial aid. The President was also criticized for being taken abroad for normal treatment that could be done even in Nepal.

After his return from India, his secretariat tried to undermine the immediate criticism by releasing a statement that the president would bear the expenses of his treatment in Delhi, but directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive the money.

After the government cleared the expenses of treatment of the President, the President's Office and the Secretariat of President Paudel remained silent. “The current government has sent that amount to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the President's treatment,” said a source in the Prime Minister's Office.

 
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• economic_recession