The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) has readied a proposal to this effect and is going to submit it at the upcoming cabinet meeting, a knowledgeable source told myrepublica.com.
OPMCM, after receiving data on the arrears from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), prepared a proposal to waive the dues. However, OPMCM officials are not ready to formally comment on the preparations.
The proposal prepared by OPMCM and initially developed by PAC shows that the dues were incurred under governments formed between 1994 and 2001.
Former prime ministers Girija Prasad Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, former deputy prime minister (now Prime Minister) Madhav Kumar Nepal and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar are in the list of those not making timely settlement of their dues.
Almost all cabinet ministers led by the above-mentioned prime ministers are also on the list. Former deputy prime minister KP Oli, and former ministers Khum Bahadur Khadka, RK Mainali, Pradip Nepal, Modnath Prashrit, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Arjun Narsingh KC and Kamal Thapa are also among those who have been listed as defaulters.
Home Minister Bhim Rawal and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari are likewise in the list of defaulters.
They have been listed for unlawful distribution of Dashain allowances to near and dear ones and for using funds from state coffers for medical checkups.
According to a PAC source, they had forwarded the data on arrears because of the delay in repayment by the ex-prime ministers, ministers and their aides and as endeavors to collect the dues went in vain.
“There were several attempts to collect the dues," a source said, adding, “We forwarded the data to OPMCM after we failed to collect,” said the source.
The OPMCM source disclosed that they have informally decided to waive the arrears in view of possible action by the Office of the Auditor General for failure to realize the dues.
As per existing law, institutional heads and finance section chiefs are liable for the collection of dues and they may face legal action if they do not collect at least 40 percent of dues every year.
“There is no possibility of dues collection from former prime ministers and ministers," the source added, “If the cabinet formally decides to waive the arrears, we are safe.”
A cabinet source said that the dues were not collected from the former prime ministers and ministers concerned as attempts made toward that end lacked teeth. “No one dares to anger such key political figures by asking them to pay up," the source said, “And the preparation to waive the arrears is the result.”
According to the PAC data, the government incurred arrears of Rs 100,000 in 1994/95; Rs 1,200,000 in 1995/96; Rs 1,500,000 in 1996/97; and Rs 2,700,000 in 1997/98. The government in 1998/99 had dues of Rs 700,000. Likewise the government in 1999/2000 incurred dues of Rs 1,200,000 and in 2000/2001 it was Rs 1,600,000.
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