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Kathmandu Tuesday July 31, 2001 Shrawan 16, 2058.
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Bring to book quick
The Parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) presented its
report on the misuse of government vehicles at the Lower House the other day. SAC
has had to submit such a report as former prime ministers, ministers and government
officials refuse to return government vehicles that they have borrowed. Unfortunately,
this is not the first time SAC has come up with such findings. It submitted such reports
many times to minimize the misuse of state owned vehicles. However, former ministers,
judges and government officials, instead of paying heed to such reports, continue to
misuse the vehicles, and this with the full knowledge of successive governments. Had the
governments paid attention to or taken strong action against those who have abused their
authority and/or have misused vehicles, the country would not have been witness to such
flagrant abuse on such a scale. The brand new Deuba government should now encourage a new
sense of ethics along with the breath of fresh air it has brought into our national
politics.
Ironically the SAC report underlines that Prime Minister Sher
Bahadur Deuba has himself since 1993 been misusing a motorcycle and a jeep which belonged
to the Ministry of Home and the Nepal Oil Corporation. Deuba served under Girija Prasad
Koirala as Home Minister for three years and became Prime Minister himself for almost one
and half years after the mid-term elections. Yet, he seems to be blithely innocent of the
political ethics and democratic values that should have become second nature by now for
someone of his stature. Should he be brought to book for impropriety? Should we not take a
leaf from the Americans who subjected the daughter of President George W Bush to
punishment for improperly purchasing an alcoholic drink? Yet how could this country find
the will to take action against the high and mighty of the land? Like Prime Minister
Deuba, there are hundreds of politicians and high government officials misusing government
vehicles. Some of them have rented vehicles for personal use with payments made out of the
government treasury. Some have replaced old vehicles with new ones by misappropriating
state funds. This apart, some state corporations have failed to register vehicles as such
vehicles are never returned by their officials after they retire. Thus, the number of
government vehicles being misused is more than what SAC has found.
It is sad but true that successive prime ministers have
allowed government officials, judges
and parliamentarians to misuse government vehicles at cost to the state treasury. The
NC-run governments—be they led by Bhattarai, Koirala or Deuba — must recognize
that they have done nothing to prevent the widespread misuse of vehicles. Rather, they
have flouted their own orders in this connection. The opposition parties have also failed
to raise this issue in parliament. However, they cannot remain silent for ever, nor can
the government keep overlooking such conduct. The government must introduce stringent
measures to minimize the misuse of vehicles and to prevent misappropriation of state
funds. Those who have misused the vehicles must be brought to book quick.
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