KATHMANDU, Sept 12: Transparency International Nepal (TI-N) has called on the government to issue a white paper on the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) land procurement scam without further delay. It has also demanded that the government carry out an investigation into the case and punish the guilty.
TIN calls on govt to issue white paper on NOC land buy scam
Issuing a press statement on Monday, TI-N, the Nepal chapter of a global anti-corruption body, said, “The government should immediately issue a white paper on the NOC land procurement scam so as to clarify the issue to the general public.”
The anti-graft body has also expressed serious concerns over the delay in implementing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s instruction to investigate into NOC land procurement scam. NOC Managing Director Gopal Khadka, the then Supplies Minister Deepak Bohara among others have been accused of embezzling over Rs 1 billion while procuring land plots for the NOC.
“The government has not reacted to the news reports on corruption carried out by various media and news websites. The government should not shirk its duty of keeping the people informed on the matters of public concern,” reads the statement. NOC is found to have misappropriated over Rs 1.5 billion while procuring land plots purportedly for constructing oil storage facilities in various districts.