Goods and services can be purchased only in projects and programs budgeted by the government. However, while he was in charge of the Communications Secretary, Vaikunth Aryal started the process of allowing the purchase of Teramox system by spending the budget of the Rural Telecommunication Fund, in which the government was protecting him even though there was a corruption of 150 billion, and he was the chief administrator of Nepal as the Chief Secretary.

• Although the board of directors of Nepal Telecom decided that the billing system was old and there was a leakage of more than two billion annually, after Sunil Paudel became the managing director and Aryal became the chairman of the board of directors, it was decided to continue the old billing system. The Board of Directors meeting on 24 January 2079 decided to enter into a maintenance contract with Asia Info Company for four years. The committee also approved a proposal to extend the contract by one year if necessary. The Authority is investigating the alleged corruption in the contract.
• Before that, the eligibility criteria of the managing director of Nepal Telecom was revised, and Aryal himself, as the then communication secretary, made a proposal to change the procedure. 

He had the only purpose of doing this - to make Sunil Poudel the managing director. 

Aryal was in charge of the chief secretary even when Poudel was in jail in the corruption case.

• The criteria for appointing Vikal Poudel as the executive director of Surakshan Printing Center was also revised. Its proponent was the then Communications Secretary Aryal. On his proposal, the Council of Ministers amended the formation order of the Security Printing Center. Sub-section 3 (a) of Section 6 of the formation order was added, "Despite what is written in Sub-section 3, the Government of Nepal may extend the term of office of the Executive Director once under Sub-section (5) of Section 3" based on this provision Reappointed. However, in the meantime, Kantipur also published the voucher of Aryal taking the money from Paudel and the WhatsApp screenshot of Aryal thanking him.

Aryal, who has been enjoying a political umbrella by sitting at the highest position in the civil service, has been suspended from his post only after the intervention of the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission. He was relieved of his post only after the authority registered a case for corruption in the printing of liquor excise stickers. This is probably the first time that a case has been filed against a sitting Chief Secretary on corruption charges. With Aryal being suspended in the corruption case, Leela Gadtoula, a senior secretary working in the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office, has been given the responsibility of Acting Chief Secretary.

The authority has filed a case against Aryal and two joint secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, Ritesh Kumar Shakya and Tank Prasad Pandey, along with 11 officials and a contractor company. A case has been filed against them in a special court demanding a fine of Rs 386.7 million and imprisonment. With the filing of the case, the staff including Chief Secretary Aryal, Joint Secretary Shakya and Pandey have also been suspended.

Chief Secretary Aryal, Finance Joint Secretary Shakya, Customs Department Deputy Director General (Joint Secretary) Pandey, Surakshan Printing Center's then Executive Director Vikal Paudel, Inland Revenue Department's Purchase Unit Director Ganesh Vikram Shahi and Branch Officer Rabindra Prasad Poudyal, National Information Technology Center's then Director Sulph Shrestha, Surakshan Printing's then Branch Officer Hariballabh Ghimire and Accounts Officer Bishnu Prasad Gautam, Surakshan Printing's then purchasing expert Shakti Prasad Shrestha and contractor company Print Cell Pvt Ltd and its owner Keshav Sharma have been made defendants.

Aryal was the Communications Secretary from July 25, 2078 to Chait 14, 2079. Transferred from Communications to the Prime Minister's Office, he dramatically became the Chief Secretary on 32nd May 2080, three days before his retirement. To pave the way for him, the then Chief Secretary Shankardas Vairagi resigned after 4 months of his tenure. So, Aryal became the Chief Secretary the very next day. Vairagi was taken to the National Security Council by Prime Minister Dahal by making him a 'National Security Adviser' to have the same facilities as a minister. If Vairagi had retired after completing his tenure regularly, Aryal would have retired as the Communications Secretary.

Both Sunil and Vikal Paudel have been found guilty by a special court in the case of purchase of gateway payment equipment. Kantipur published the fact that Aryal had made unfair and dubious financial transactions for the appointment of Poudeldway. Aryal's receipt of money from Vikal Paudel and the WhatsApp screenshot of Aryal thanking him for that were also published by Kantipur. Even when evidence of corruption by the Chief Secretary of the government was published in the public media, the government kept him in charge without even asking for an explanation. As of

, Aryal was the Communications Secretary while Joint Secretary Shakya was the Director General of Internal Revenue Department and Pandey was the Deputy Director General when the contract for printing excise stickers was awarded. Shakya was the director general of the department from February 2, 2078 to December 14, 2079. Shakya is currently the head of the Budget Division of the Ministry of Finance. Pandey is the Deputy Director General of Customs Department. On November 26, 2079, Printcell Pvt Ltd got the sticker printing contract. This issue became suspicious after it was revealed that he was entrusted with the printing of stickers by fixing an unnatural price.

On July 28, 2080, a complaint was filed in the authority regarding irregularities in sticker printing. In the indictment filed by the authority after the investigation, it is mentioned that Aryal misused his position and printed stickers in collusion when he was a secretary in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. According to the indictment filed in the special court, the government had squandered the budget by purchasing only ink and paper to print the stickers from the Suraksha Printing Center. Accordingly, 433.2 million stickers to be stuck on beer had to be printed. However, it is mentioned in the indictment that despite the printing center having its own machine, the contract was awarded to the high-cost bidder by fixing the price of stickers at an unnaturally high price.

It has also been found that only Aryal and a few limited people were kept in preparation and approval of tender documents, tender evaluation committee, final report preparation and approval. All these documents reveal that Aryal was directly involved in the process. Accordingly, the contract was awarded to Printcell in an agreement.

On December 28, 2079, Surakshan Printing had signed an agreement with Printcell to print stickers for 386.7 million 17 thousand 640 rupees. Safal Shrestha, director of Surakshan Printing, had prepared a cost of 394.2 million 12 thousand at 91 paisa per piece, excluding value added tax. After that, the account officer of the center and the branch officer were involved in the decision process of giving advance payment to the company. People including Aryal and Vikal had contracted to print the stickers at an expensive price, which was up to 5 times more than the cost of the

preparation sticker. Despite not having its own printing machine, the Internal Revenue Department purchased stickers for 16 paisa for cigarettes and 34 paisa for alcohol. Before that, when it was printed and brought from abroad, it seems that the per sticker cost up to 25 paise. However, it is mentioned in the indictment that printing by own machine was fixed at 79 paisa per sticker and this prepared per sticker showed a loss of 54 paisa. It is mentioned in the indictment that if the sticker is printed on its own machine at half the price than the purchase price, the high price has been fixed for the purpose of misappropriating government funds.

In this case, the authority has accused Chief Secretary Aryal of preparing and approving a master plan against the provisions of public procurement, colluding with the illegal work of security printing by giving silent approval, and not fulfilling the duties of the chairman of the printing development committee.

In the same way, the authority has also said that the matter given to private companies to be printed on the need to maintain confidentiality in sticker printing is illegal. There is an arrangement that the President of Surakshan Printing Center will be the Communication Secretary himself. Defendant Aryal has also admitted that it was illegal to allow Printcell to use the equipment. However, he has shied away saying that he is not responsible for this matter. "A private company cannot be allowed to use security printing equipment for sticker printing, nor can a private company be given access to a security printing center. The committee and the ministry are not responsible because there is no information about the fact that the executive director should proceed with the work according to the performance agreement and the approved procurement master plan. The official is responsible," he said in a statement.

'The appointment of the Chief Secretary was unnatural, the Prime Minister should answer'

Umesh Prasad Mainali

Former Home Secretary

The Chief Secretary is the leader of the overall administration mechanism. It is also a pillar of the civil service. As the chief secretary himself was accused in corruption, it was an accident for other employees, it became tragic. There was no natural process and universally accepted decision in the appointment of the Chief Secretary. This situation came about when the tendency to focus on proximity, self-interest and the achievement of vested objectives prevailed. At that time (in May 2080) Aryal was appointed to this post and there was prejudice. Why was a person who was going to retire after 2/3 days made the Chief Secretary? The appointer (Prime Minister) has to answer this. Misjudgment is an accident.

With the filing of a corruption case against Chief Secretary Aryalji, the heads of other employees have bowed, the light has fallen.

This incident has hurt good employees. The wrongdoers should be party to the action, no doubt. Some positions are like that, due to which the value/prestige of others is also attached. The case of filing a case against the Chief Secretary now has the risk that it will be understood that the civil servants are corrupt everywhere, that the person in their leadership is the accused of corruption and others are also the same. Chief Secretary Aryal was reported to be involved in irregularities and corruption several months ago. 

After this, the administration's reputation would not have been hurt to some extent if the concerned person had come out with morals. Later, if the crime is confirmed, the punishment will be given, if not confirmed, then acquitted. I should have said that I am stepping down from this post after the question was raised. That didn't happen. Later, whether the crime is confirmed or acquitted is a different matter, filing a corruption case against the incumbent chief secretary is not a matter of choice. I also retired after staying in this organization for a long time. 

Although the employee is retired, the relationship with the personnel administration system remains. After the corruption case against the Chief Secretary, I was very sad to think about the effect on other employees. Questions were raised about the staff everywhere. I don't know whether or not to tell outside. But as I say, after Bimal Koirala, the selection/appointment of all Chief Secretaries seems unnatural.

After the corruption case against the chief secretary, where did the good governance or ethics that the prime minister said have gone? Or should the political leadership not be touched after being accused and punished? If not, then there will be no question about the decision-making authority (Prime Minister) who appoints the Chief Secretary through a wrong process? The prime minister has to give the answer.

Gauri Bahadur Karki

former judge

The question arises as to why a case is brought against the head of the administrative and permanent government of the country. It is found that when the government appoints to a place or position where there is a big economic transaction, it is only after making an appointment. We have already had a tendency to appoint only those who can make unstoppable audacity to commit corruption, who can earn and who can pay a large amount after earning, i.e., those who can do so. Let's look at the previous appointments. If you look at the faces of those who were previously involved in corruption and were removed from office, the shadow of the prime minister, minister or party president who appointed them is clearly visible.

If we look at the appointees in this corruption, it can be seen from the records that Congress, UML, Maoist all three parties believed them. Let's look at those who appointed Vikal Paudel, the government and the prime ministers seem to be part of the coalition of these three parties. It is enough to discuss the appointments of Lokman Singh Karki, Deep Basnet, Rajnarayan Pathak, Digambar Jha, Gajendra Thakur, Sugaratna Kansakar, Vikal Paudel, Sunil Paudel etc., about what intention and purpose they were made. 

Chief Secretary Vaikunth Aryal was also used since the amendment of telecommunication rules to fix the Ncell purchase and sale situation, to automatically extend the 10-year period of Ncell by giving smart telecoms that had expired without renewing Ncell. It is clear that Ncell and Vikal/Sunil Poudel and the power to mobilize them have been brought to the Chief Secretary in the design of the Centre. Chief Secretary Shankardas Vairagi resigned and Aryal was appointed as National Security Advisor. It seems that many types of force were used to bring Aryal.

The main strength is Ncell's buyers and disabled brothers. Just looking at the face of the bringer is enough to convince him. There was no fear of corruption as the Prime Minister and the party chairman in the government supported him. Because the authority works under the assurance that it will not do anything, corruption happens openly. Teramox is still alive, this case delayed by the authority due to political pressure will soon reach the special court. Now Aryal got the case. However, it is the appointees who bring him to this situation. If the appointers had not trusted him, if he had not been appointed, he would not have had the opportunity to commit corruption even if he wanted to. There was no dispute about his performance until he became joint secretary. When he reached the post of decisive secretary, he began to deviate from the shadow of political leadership.