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| Kathmandu Tuesday March 12, 2002 Falgun 28, 2058. |
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Ministers
resign over alleged role in bribery
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 11
:Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha and his Deputy Minister of
State Surendra Hamal, who have been engaged in a heated row over a bribery scandal,
resigned today amid growing criticism from the opposition parties.
The conflict between
these members of the cabinet of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba turned into a public
affair after they came out openly against each other. Both of them have now been forced to
resign by the Prime Minister after the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal –
Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) disrupted the parliament proceedings on Monday.
While Minister Shrestha
read out his resignation letter at Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives,
Minister of State Hamal gave his resignation to PM Deuba.
In his address to the
parliament, Minister Shrestha refuted the allegations put forward by his deputy. Minister
of State Hamal, in a press meet on Friday, had alleged Shrestha of receiving Rs. 200,000
as a bribe to upgrade the collection capacity of a industry in Nepalgunj and a ruling
party MP had acted as a middleman.
"I had approved
the documents of Khanal Resin and Turpentine Industries seeking permission for upgrading
the resin collection capacity after it completed all the due procedures," Minister
Shrestha told the House.
Minister Shrestha
claimed that the "Timber Mafia" has played an active role to oust him as he
started investigation on the recent forest destruction in several parts of the country.
He also claimed that
the transfer of the employees, which has drawn controversy, was performed by the Minister
of State himself and not by him.
But Minister of State
Hamal, in his resignation letter to the PM, stated that he was made a victim of deliberate
intrigue inside the Ministry and the CIAA letter to warn him was part of conspiracy
designed by Minister Shrestha.
"Some opportunist
members of the cabinet also played a crucial role to oust me ignoring the fact that I have
filed a case in the Court against CIAA decision to warn me," said Hamal.
"I have decided to
support the stance of party president Girija Prasad Koirala concerning the formation of
the Council of Ministers with no more than ten percent of the total
parliamentarians," Hamal said.
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