Probe fortunes of all public office holders: Congress MPs

Nepali Congress lawmakers Dhanraj Gurung, Badri Pandey and Jeevan Pariyar have registered a proposal of public importance in the parliament regarding the investigation of wealth and assets of public office holders and their families. 

The proposal, registered with the Task Management Branch of the House of Representatives on April 9, falls within the ambit of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Interestingly, the main opposition party has been obstructing the House session demanding a parliamentary probe into Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in misappropriation of funds deposited in a Pokhara-based financial cooperative.  

If the proposal is discussed in the parliament, Home Minister Lamichhane will have to furnish replies on the matter.

“There’s a prevailing practice of forming a high-level commission to investigate the wealth and assets of public office holders. A judicial investigation panel was formed on 8 March 2002 to investigate the wealth and assets of all incumbent and retired public office holders accumulated till 1990. The panel’s report needs to be made public,” the proposal undersigned by Gurung, Pandey and Pariyar states.

The Congress lawmakers argue that while the Corruption Prevention Act, 2003 stipulates a mandatory condition of wealth and asset disclosure applicable to all public position holders and their families, it remains unimplemented. The lawmakers have sought effective implementation of the anti-graft legislations to curb corruption and irregularities, maintain public trust in governance, make the activities of public office bearers transparent, accountable and responsible.

One of their chief demands is conducting a parliamentary discussion on publicizing the report, submitted by the judicial investigation panel formed in 2002, detailing the wealth and assets of public office holders and their families. They have also called for a continued scrutiny of their assets beyond the reporting period.

Key demands

 

• Unveiling and and implementation of the report on the fortunes of public office holders and their families submitted by the judicial panel formed 22 years ago
• Investigation into the properties of public position holders, including incumbent and retired prime ministers, ministers, members of parliament, chief ministers, provincial ministers, elected local government officers and their close family members
• Formation of a separate commission to investigate the wealth and assets under the ownership of past and present public office holders, as well as their family members