Repulica published a news story on the widespread misuse of PSOs on March 12. Taking serious note of the reports published in media, a meeting of the PAC instructed OPMCM and MoHA to retrieve vehicles and PSOs within a week. [break]
“The meeting of the PAC concludes that vehicles and PSOs were distributed to former high ranking officials flouting existing regulations and mechanisms,” reads the decision.
As per the existing regulations, the state provides security personnel to high-ranking officials only for a certain period of time. In the case of former home ministers and prime ministers, the regulations explicitly state that they can enjoy security facilities only till three years after vacating office.
However, the data prepared by MoHA shows that not only former home ministers but also hundreds of political leaders, former ministers, businessmen, contractors and individuals have long been misusing state vehicles and PSOs in violation of the regulation.
The PAC has decided to forward the names of those who refuse to comply with the decision to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for necessary action against them.
The PAC has also instructed authorities to amend existing regulations within a week to make the provisions explicit and more transparent. The committee instructed the government to be economic while providing facilities to former officials.
Taking strong exception to the practice of buying expensive vehicles, the committee instructed government authorities to immediately scrap the practice of providing vehicles to outgoing prime ministers and ministers.
The outgoing prime ministers and ministers have long been taking away the vehicles, bought while in office, for their personal use at the time of vacating the office.
Asking OPMCM and MoHA to be more discreet in providing facilities to former officials, the committee said, "OPMCM and MoHA are asked to retrieve vehicles from those who have been using double facilities provided by government, various ministries and government agencies," states the PAC decision.
The PAC instruction also forbids government-provided vehicle facility to those who have been already enjoying one under customs exemption.
The PAC also instructed authorities to end the practice of deploying state employees as helpers at someone´s house.
A comprehensive data provided to lawmakers and journalists by MoHA shows that former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been receiving Rs 80,000 every month for rent, water and electricity bills. According to the data, former ministers, political leaders, government officials, members of parliament and businessmen apart, even Rubel Chaudhary has been enjoying state-provided personal security officers.
PAC to discuss over Khanal´s issue
The parliamentary committee also expressed concern over the sudden resignation of finance secretary Rameshore Khanal and asked finance minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari, revenue secretary Krishna Hari Baskota and chief secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire to be present at Thursday´s meeting for clarification.
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