KATHMANDU, July 11: Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday decided to forward all documents regarding alleged irregularities in relief distribution by the government to the Special National Committee for Disaster Management, Monitoring and Direction, which is led by Speaker Subas Nembang, for further investigations.
After lawmakers on the PAC doubted the competence of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in carrying out a thorough and fair investigation, PAC Chairman Janardan Sharma decided to forward the report to the parliamentary special committee for further investigations. The report comprises details of alleged irregularities by major line ministries while distributing emergency relief goods to victims after the April 25 earthquake."As the special committee is also carrying out an investigation into alleged irregularities by major ministries, the committee has decided to forward its own probe report to the special committee to help in further investigations," he said.
Earlier this month, the PAC had summoned Urban Development Minister Narayan Khadka, Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam, Commerce and Supplies Minister Sunil Bahadur Thapa and officials of the Finance Ministry to inquire about the status of relief distribution following serious controversy over misuse of relief goods.
Ram Hari Khatiwada, a lawmaker, said that the PAC should not forward its probe reporrt to the CIAA for further investigations as the anti-graft body did not properly investigate cases in the past.
Lawmakers referred to the Ganesh Thapa affair in which the PAC had concluded that Thapa was involved in financial irregularities at All Nepal Football Association to the tune of Rs 581.7 million and forwarded the case to the CIAA for further investigations. But the CIAA had put the case on hold.
"CIAA officials are found to be selective in the cases they entertain and they take decisions based on their relations with the individuals accused. They initiate investigations only if the accused are individuals who don't have good rapport with the CIAA officials," said Khatiwada. "So, we better send this issue to the special committee for further investigations and not to the CIAA."
Some other lawmakers also said that the PAC should forward its probe report to the special committee and not to the CIAA as those involved in irregularities may get a clean chit if the anti-graft body is brought into the picture.
Lawmakers on the PAC pressed for legal action against ministers and other officials involved in irregularities during relief distribution but they were unwilling to entrust the matter to the CIAA.
Lawmaker Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal said that as the special committee is investigating the misuse of relief goods, the PAC should forward its probe report to that committee and help it take action against officials involved in irregularities.
Altogether 3,199 tarpaulins and tents went missing when the Ministry of Urban Development distributed emergency relief to earthquake victims right after the April 25 earthquake.
In reply to questions by the PAC about the status of missing tarpaulins and tents, Minister for Urban Development (MoUD) Narayan Khadka had said that the ministry failed to maintain records of tents and tarpaulins distributed to the quake victims "as the government was under extreme pressure to provide emergency relief to victims."
Bikash Lamsal, another lawmaker, said that the committee should take action against such ministers and officials who misused relief materials on the excuse that the situation right after the quake was abnormal.
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