Four and a half crore embezzlement from three cooperatives in Dhankuta

Administrative officer Dashrath Rai said that during the investigation by the municipality, it was found that an amount of 4.5 million was embezzled. The municipality has written to the district police office for further investigation and action. "When we investigated deeply, it was confirmed that there was embezzlement," he said. It has been said that the cooperative operators are hesitating when the municipality asks to return the money of the depositors.

Among the cooperative organizations that have received complaints, it has been found that 'Hamro Krishi Sahakari Sanstha Limited' in Dhankuta Municipality-6 has embezzled the most amount. The municipality said that the savings of 40 million 29 lakh 24 thousand 716 rupees of more than 60 savers of the organization have not been returned. In the name of the president of the organization, Manju Basnet, the municipality has written to the police for further investigation.

Similarly, a complaint has also been filed in the name of Lokendra Khadka, president of Samriddhi Savings and Credit Cooperative Society located in Dhankuta-6. It is said that the organization has not returned 696 thousand 125 savings of 18 savers. It has been claimed that Ganesh Pokhrel, the chairman of Arun Consumer Cooperative in Dhankuta Municipality-1, embezzled the savings and property of the cooperative and used the saved money voluntarily to cause loss to the organization. It is mentioned in the letter sent to the police that the involved persons committed an offense and misappropriated the money of the savers as per Section 79 of the Cooperative Act, 2075 of Dhankuta Municipality.

According to Municipal Chief Chintan Tamang, the values ​​and principles of cooperatives have adopted concepts such as self-responsibility, honesty, and mutual cooperation and acted contrary to the legal responsibility of promoting good governance in cooperatives. According to him, some of the transactions have been done through a cooperative organization in the name of non-fulfillment of financial responsibility and embezzlement without returning the savings of the savers. "According to the executive's decision, a correspondence has been sent to the police on June 30," he said It is said that the municipality should send it after confirmation through the accountant. District Police Chief SP Shyamsin Chowdhury said that even though a letter has been sent to the cooperative through the municipality for action, it is necessary to confirm and send the embezzled amount through an auditor or CA. However, municipal sources argue that when the municipality confirms the misappropriation of cooperatives within its jurisdiction, the police should assist in taking legal action. The chief development officer of the financial branch of the municipality claimed that there is no need for further confirmation as the decision of the executive has been sent after investigating the embezzlement.

The municipality has already terminated 17 cooperative organizations for violating the Cooperative Act. Dhankuta Municipality Chief Tamang informed that 17 out of 70 organizations in the city area were canceled for acting contrary to the Cooperative Act, 2075. "We have brought the money of the complained organization under the scope of investigation," he said Collection has started . Chief Administrative Officer Rai said that the details have been requested through the relevant cooperative organizations. Vijayasantoshi Rai, president of Dhankuta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that there is a situation where there is a need to investigate deeply about non-payment of loans and co-operative fraud.