KATHMANDU, August 23: Executive Director of Nepal Oil Corporation, Gopal Khadka faces several accusations. The latest of such accusations is his involvement in the Rs 670 million land deal scam. But nobody has dared to take any action against him.
Khadka, who is said to have close links with high level political leaders, was also accused of being involved in black marketeering of fuel during the Indian blockade in 2015, but he was protecte and was not taken to court.
Nepali youth Bikram Khadka sets world record for standing in a...
The then Supplies Minister Ganesh Man Pun had formed an investigation committee led by Joint Secretary Jibraj Koirala to probe into the allegations against Khadka, but the latter was protected by the then chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Lokman Singh Karki.
Later, a committee led by secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, Naindra Prasad Upadhaya recommended taking action against Khadka after an investigation. This time he was saved by CPN (Maoist Center) President Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
During Dahal's premiership, it had also been revealed that the then Supplies Minister Ganesh Man Pun initially had tried to take action against Khadka but he later chose to keep quiet after being pressurized from various quarters not to take action against Khadka.
No action has been taken against Khadka so far even in the recent case of irregularities in purchasing land for NOC. Though the parliamentary committee has recommended taking action against him for being involved in irregularities in the land purchasing deal, the agencies concerned have remained silent.
Parliament's Public Accounts Committee had directed to take action against Khadka after finding his involvement in the irregularities while purchasing land for NOC in Bhairahawa, Chitwan, Sarlahi and Jhapa. The committee had summoned Supplies Secretary Prem Kumar Rai and discussed the matter with him before issuing the direction to take action against Khadka. Supplies Minister Shiva Kumar Mandal had committed to take action against Khadka but he, too, has done nothing in this regard so far. Though the parliamentary committee had directed the NOC to look for government land, the NOC officials started the process of buying private land just for their commission, said the lawmakers.
