Home Minister-MP question and answer on cooperative issue

Minister Lamichhane was previously a member of the State Administration Committee when he was in the opposition. The Ministry of Home Affairs falls under the jurisdiction of the State Administration Committee. Lamichhane, who attended the committee meeting for the first time after coming to government, was questioned by the Congress MPs about the co-operative fraud. Congress MP Dilendra Prasad Badu questioned about the transfer of crores of rupees from cooperatives in Pokhara and Butwal to Gorkha Media Network, the operator of Galaxy TV, of which he is the managing director. Badu also demanded that he step down for a fair investigation into the investment of the co-operative's funds in private companies.

How many accused were caught in the cooperative case? Where did the investigation process go? 10 million rupees have come to Galaxy Television or not? It was said that Rs 1 crore has been collected in the name of Ravi Lamichhane,' Badu said, 'If he thinks that the Home Minister is himself, to make this investigation fair and credible, to make sure that the people should also be investigated in a credible manner, he would have said that I will step down from the responsibility until the investigation is completed. It is our expectation.'' He said that his signature, Lapche, KYC or anything else is not with the cooperative. He added, "I have not received any letter." Nor am I aware of any research. According to what I heard, the case has also been registered in the court. I am not a defendant in the case registered in the court, there is no information that my name is mentioned in the statements of the defendants. I have come to know that there is a complaint, which has been received as a notification by the police, but it has not been registered either. Inspector General of Police Basant Kunwar also defended Home Minister Lamichhane regarding the

cooperative. Even though there was a complaint against Lamichhane, he submitted the matter to the parliamentary committee without any facts, evidence or basis. Inspector General Kunwar said, "There was a complaint about the cooperative, but no evidence is found during the investigation. "There is no basis in the facts and evidence so far regarding Ravi Lamichhane."

After the Congress raised the issue of co-operative fraud in the parliamentary committee, the UML MP responded. The argument of UML MPs Prithvisubba Gurung and Krishnagopal Shrestha was that the MPs could not raise the issue of microfinance and cooperatives as they felt that they did not fall within the scope of the committee. They criticized Rajyagam Samiti Chairman Ramhari Khatiwada for going beyond the scope of the discussion.

Is it a committee that can go everywhere and say whatever they want? It is not a committee that goes beyond its scope of work and conducts discussions. If there is a matter related to cooperatives, it should be discussed there under which committee the Ministry of Cooperatives is, not here," said Gurung. UML MP Shrestha also alerted Chairman Khatiwada not to issue any instructions to the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding cooperatives. During the

meeting, the members also asked questions about the random distribution of arms licenses, the process initiated by the CIB to investigate the involvement of MP Vinod Chaudhary in the Bansbari land case and the gold smuggling report. The parliamentarians also sought answers from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the weapons seized by the police from the bodyguards of medical practitioner Durga Prasain, the permit granted to carry them and their renewal.

Any person can get a license to keep a weapon but cannot carry it outside his home compound, the home official said. Home Minister Lamichhane informed that an investigation is being conducted regarding Prasain's permission for weapons and the Supreme Court has also ordered an investigation.

Congress MP Badu expressed the party's opinion about sending a letter to Speaker Devraj Ghimire about the investigation being conducted on Congress MP Vinod Chaudhary. There is no provision in the constitution to write a sign with prior information that someone is being investigated. What is the provision of the constitution? Which regulation is the provision? We cannot understand. Is this just for the purpose of harassing someone?,' he asked.

Inspector General Kunwar could not answer the question about which law he sent the letter to the Speaker. He said that he facilitated and informed the Speaker about the subject being investigated. Home Minister Lamichhane said about this, "It was done based on the belief that after a person's freedom has been violated and after becoming an honorable member of parliament, it should be reported to the House." Mahara was arrested and released on the charge of being involved in gold smuggling, and the government commission itself mentioned in the report that the people in the secretariat of the former vice president were involved in gold smuggling, so the Home Minister's opinion was sought on making it public. Inspector General Kunwar said Mahara was arrested to implement the report of the Gold Smuggling Investigation Commission. Lamichhane said that he is committed to the belief that the report should be made public.