6 Governments in 7 Years in Lumbini: Property Details of Chief Minister and Minister Secret

Poush 10, 2081

Ghanshyam Gautam

6 Governments in 7 Years in Lumbini: Property Details of Chief Minister and Minister Secret

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In the 7 years after the implementation of federalism, 6 governments have been formed in Lumbini province. 2 governments were formed in 5 years of the first term and 4 governments were formed in 2 years of the second term. Among the 6 Chief Ministers, only the current Chief Minister Chetnarayan Acharya has disclosed his assets. However, that too has not been seen on the official website. Apart from this, no other minister has made the property details public. In 7 years there have been 42 ministers in Lumbini province.

In Section 50 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2059, there is a legal provision that ``within 60 days of holding a public office and then within 60 days of the end of the financial year, the property statement must be submitted to the designated agency or authority by the Government of Nepal by publishing a notice in the Nepal Gazette.'' However, according to the same Act, the Chief Minister and Ministers of Lumbini have not made their property details public.

UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel became the first Chief Minister in Lumbini Province from 2074 to 2077. 6 to 11 people became ministers in the Pokhrel-led cabinet. Sudarshan Baral, who became Minister of Social Development from CPN in the Pokharel-led government, announced his assets through a statement within a month of becoming a minister. UML General Secretary Pokharel became the government led by Kulprasad KC of the Maoist Center. KC increased the number of Cabinet to 17. However, none of the ministers, including KC, made public the property details .

UML leader Leela Giri led the government in the second term of the state assembly after KC . Even from the 11-member cabinet, none of the ministers, including Chief Minister Giri, disclosed their assets. The Giri-led government collapsed within three months. After that, the government led by Nepali Congress leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary was formed. None of the ministers, including Chief Minister Choudhary, disclosed the details . The Chaudhary-led government had 12 members at the end. After that, the government was formed under the leadership of Jokh Bahadur Mahara of the Maoist center for almost 4 months. 11 of Mahara's tenure also became ministers . None of those ministers disclosed their property details . Then UML leader Chetnarayan Acharya became the Chief Minister. Acharya also now has an 11-member cabinet. Ministers are 10 . 

It is a practice to publish the property details of the officials of public bodies for financial transparency. However, since the chief minister and minister of the state government did not make it public, the employees are also relieved. In Lumbini, it is claimed that some ministers have submitted property details to the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. However, it has been kept secret until now as it is the right of the concerned person to publicize it. 

The current Chief Minister Acharya, on the same day he was appointed as the Chief Minister, the 'Cabinet' members, including himself, had made a commitment to make public the property details . It has been 5 months since the formation of the government on Sunday. However, none of the other ministers of the government have made the details public. Chief Minister Acharya also made public the details through a public program on Sunday.

Government spokesperson and Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Dinesh Panthi said that there is no binding law to publicize the property details of the Chief Minister and Ministers. "We have instructed to submit the property details from the beginning," he said. It is mentioned in Section 50 (4) of the Management Act that the property details submitted by the Chief Minister and the Minister can be kept confidential.

State Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Maya Pun said that ministers do not publish property details because the law does not make it mandatory. "There is no legal requirement to disclose the details," she said, "but there is a tendency to not disclose the details to the government". She also said that it is the responsibility of provincial assembly members, ministers and chief ministers to publish their property details. However, he claims that it is not binding because there is a provision to keep it confidential. 

Minister Panthi, who is also the spokesperson of the government, said that the government is discussing the matter of publicizing the assets. "I have already submitted the property details," he said, "other ministers have also submitted." The issue of making it public is under discussion. We will reach a decision soon.' 

Chief Minister and Cabinet Office Information Officer Mohan Aryal claimed that Chief Minister Acharya and other ministers have also submitted their property details as per the law. However, because it is not compulsory to make it public, it has not been placed on the website of the ministry. 

'Most of the ministers, including the Chief Minister, have submitted their property details at the appointed time,' he said, 'but the details have not been made public as there is no mandatory provision.' He said that property details can be made public.

Chief Minister Acharya has 4 lakhs in cash, 10 tolas of gold, house and land

Chief Minister Chetnarayan Acharya has made his assets public on Sunday. He has said that he has 4 lakhs in cash in the bank, 10 tolas of gold, 8 and a half acres of land in 2 places in Motipur of Butwal, 2 acres of land in Madhuvan of Kapilvastu and 12 annas of land in Sandhirkhak of Arghakhanchi and a 2 and a half storey house. However, his property details are not kept on the ministry's website.

Ghanshyam

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