KATHMANDU, July 21: Cabinet ministers of the present coalition government have spent Rs 5.1 million in four months from state coffers for domestic trips made mostly with personal and political objectives.
Records at the Prime Minister´s Office (PMO) show that the cabinet ministers spent Rs 5.1 million over the period starting in April, mostly for ´meaningless´ purposes.
The records show what types of trips our ministers are making and claiming reimbursement for from state coffers. Ministerial domestic trips include those undertaken for inauguration of temples, workshops and trainings, attending programs organized by party wings and district chapters, inauguration of newly constructed buildings, inspection of district offices and attending festivals.
"Most of the ministers have breached the code of conduct concerning trips issued by the PMO," a source told Republica, adding, "Ministers visit various districts for political reasons but claim reimbursement from state coffers, in gross violation of the code of conduct."
According to figures available, Irrigation Minister Raghubir Mahaseth has outdone all the other ministers in making reckless trips and subsequently claiming reimbursement. Mahaseth visited various districts four times in April, five times in May, four times again in June and five times in July.
"We cannot reject bills submitted by ministers in spite of knowing that they went to the districts for reasons of party politics and not on government work," the source said, "They sometime make an inspection of some projects just to be able to mention a reason for the trip whiling claiming reimbursement."
After Mahaseth, Peace and Reconstruction Minister Bishowanath Sah, Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Bhanubhakta Joshi, Land Reform and Management Minister Ramcharan Chaudhari, Land Reform and Management State Minister Hakikullaha Khan and Forest and Soil Conservation State Minister Bhagawati Chaudhari lead the pack in making such trips out of political and personal objectives.
Peace Minister Sah, Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Joshi, Land Reform and Management State Minister Khan and Forest and Soil Conservation State Minister Chaudhari made more domestic trips in April than all the other ministers.
Irrigation Minister Mahaseth, Forest Minister Joshi, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikary, Physical Planning and Works Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Local Development Minister Urmila Aryal, Land Reform and Management State Minister Khan and Energy State Minister Ramji Sharma are in the list of those making the maximum number of trips in May for petty programs and claiming huge expenses.
Similarly, Forest Minister Joshi, Irrigation Minister Mahaseth and Forest State Minister Chaudhari made the maximum numbers of domestic trips in June.
According to records, Irrigation Minister Mahaseth, Forest Minister Joshi and Physical Planning and Works Minister Rayamajhi made the most trips in July.
At the special initiative of Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire and Secretary Leelamani Paudyal when the latter was at the PMO, the PMO had circulated a directive to all ministers, asking them to furnish evidence of their domestic trips to claim reimbursement of expenses. As per that directive, ministers are required to show evidence including information on where, when and why they made trips within the country.
The PMO had also warned ministers that expenses won´t be reimbursed if visits are found to have been made with personal or political objectives.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=33722
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