KATHMANDU, JANUARY 26
The Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission filed a corruption complaint against 18 people, including Director General of the Department of Mines and Geology Ram Prasad Ghimire and directors of nine companies for their alleged involvement in corruption .
The anti-corruption body sought to recover 1.24 billion rupees each from Ram Prasad Ghimire and two other employees of the Department of Mines and Geology – Jayraj Ghimire and Sapana Adhikari.
The anti-corruption body said a three-member committee formed under Ram Prasad Ghimire on May 28, 2019 concluded that the nine companies had excavated more than the authorized amount of limestone and caused a loss of revenue of 1.26 billion. rupees.
The CIAA said the Ministry of Mines and Geology only collected 1.8 million rupees in fines from the nine companies as per the report submitted by the second committee formed under Jayraj Ghimire on May 28, 2020.
The CIAA alleged that Jayraj Ghimire and Sapana Adhikari offered a false interpretation of the law and decided to recover a fine of just 100,000 rupees from the companies for two fiscal years, causing the government a loss of revenue of 1.24 billion rupees. .
The CIAA has accused members of the second committee consisting of Deputy Prosecutor Chandra Kumar Pokharel, other employees Prashant Bohara, Dharmaraj Khadka, Shreebhadra Gautam, Basant Adhikari and geologist Saunak Bhandari of corruption.
The CIAA said those defendants also decided to collect only 100,000 from businesses, resulting in lost revenue for the government.
The CIAA said nine companies – Sarbottam Cement Ltd, Siddharth Minerals Pvt Ltd, Maruti Cement Ltd, Annapurna Quarries Pvt Ltd, Udaypur Minerals Tech Pvt Ltd, United Cement Pvt Ltd, Sonapur Minerals and Oil Ltd, Kanchan Quarries Pvt Ltd and Dolomite Limestone Industries Pvt Ltd – excavated more than allowed number of limestones and caused loss to mineral deposit.
He said businesses have a negative impact on the environment.
The CIAA has accused Siddhartha Minerals Ltd of causing a loss to the government of Rs 4.9 million. Maruti Cement Ltd has been accused of embezzling Rs 2 million. Other companies face the allegation of embezzlement between Rs 10 million and 160 million.
Director of Sarbottam Cement Ltd Bishnu Prasad Neupane, Director of Siddharth Minerals Pvt Ltd Pashupati Murarka, Director of Maruti Cement Ltd Sarad Goyal, Director of Annapurna Quarries Pvt Ltd Rishi Agrawal, Director of Udaypur Minerals Tech Pvt Ltd Prabal Jung Pandey, Director of United Cement Pvt Ltd Naresh Dugar, Director of Sonapur Minerals and Oil Ltd Nipesh Tayal, Director of Kanchan Quarries Pvt Ltd Bhim Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, and Director of Dolomite Limestone Industries Pvt Ltd Man Bahadur Shrestha excavated more limestone than it was authorised, causing loss to the mineral deposit and thereby having a negative impact on the environment.
The government suffered a loss of revenue of 1.24 billion rupees due to corrupt officers
A version of this article appears in the January 27, 2022 printing of The Himalayan Times.
