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Kathmandu Thursday November 22, 2001 Marga 07, 2058.
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KMC
ready to check financial irregularities: Official
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Nov 21-
Kathmandu Metropolitan City is ready to take action against those involved in financial
irregularities if the KMC board permits, acting chief executive of KMC said today.
"We will try to
implement the results of the probe report if the Board decides to take action according to
the report," said Naresh Kumar Regmi, acting chief executive of the KMC.
Regmi also welcomed the
report prepared by Ward No. 28 Chairman Subhan Kumar Shrestha, which clearly stated that
there have been wide financial irregularities inside the KMC.
"KMC board has in
fact taken a positive step to investigate the irregularities," Regmi said, in
response to a news report published in The Kathmandu Post on Tuesday, which gave detailed
account of those involved in financial irregularities.
Shrestha read out his
report in last month’s board meeting, which disclosed that the local representatives
have misused Rs 9,300,154 as advance but did not clear on time. They have also failed to
specify the reasons for taking the advance and its utilisation as required by the
KMC’s financial regulations. The report also said that Rs. 2,516,281 has been paid
out to various members for medical treatment without any proper record.
He added that the
administration would be happy if the Board takes a legitimate decision on those who have
been pointed out as responsible behind this irregularity.
However, Kathmandu
Mayor Keshav Sthapit said that this financial irregularity is not that big in comparison
to what has been going at the national level.
"Clearing the
payments in advance is a long process that goes on," he said, but he refused to
comment on Shrestha’s report.
Among those who had
received cash in advance and had failed to clear the dues include the mayor and deputy
mayor themselves. Also mentioned in the report are ward chairmen, ward members as well as
nominated ward members.
Ramesh Dangol, the ward
No. 2 chairman, tops the list taking advances totalling Rs 1,715,500 till last year. Mayor
Sthapit has Rs. 970,894 to his name while there are 66 more names in the list.
Shyam Chitrakar, the
chairman of ward No. 26 said that the report should have been brought to the public long
ago so that the local representatives also would be alert not to misuse the citizen’s
property.
On the other hand,
chairman of Ward No. 12 Niranjan Kumar Shrestha said that the public must work as a
watchdog on such issues. "This is the time people should raise questions," he
said.
Altogether 41 KMC
representatives have received total of Rs. 2,516,281 as medical allowance though there are
no legal provisions for such facilities. Among them, Ward No. 14 Chairman Badri Bahadur
Thapa and former Ward No. 27 Chairman Dharma Ratna Tuladhar have received Rs 320,000 each.
And Ward No. 9 Member Shyam Krishna KC has received Rs 250,000.
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