Nepal has been known as a country with high levels of corruption for decades and is therefore placed on the blacklist of international organizations. Foreign investment is affected. Nepal is not viewed well in the international arena. It negatively affects the country's development prospects. That is why institutions like the CIAA need to act quickly, not lazily.
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People want thorough investigations into suspected corruption projects and swift action against the culprits. In our country, although corruption scandals are widely discussed, the level of investigation and action is weak. As a result, corruption is heard everywhere but no action is taken, which has created widespread dissatisfaction among the people.
But the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, which has the main responsibility of investigating and prosecuting corruption, has been holding back several corruption cases. For example, various reports have shown that corruption occurred in projects worth 60 billion, including Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports, but the Authority is not ready to conclude the investigation and move forward with the prosecution process. It has been stalling for two years. This trend is sure to increase the dissatisfaction among the citizens. The damage it causes is multifaceted. The Authority should be aware of this.
There are allegations of irregularities in the Pokhara Airport construction project, which was completed at a cost of 24.58 billion rupees, right from the contract process. There are allegations of irregularities in the distribution of compensation and construction during the construction of the Gautam Buddha Airport, which cost 30 billion rupees. There are allegations of using low-quality materials, increasing the cost, changing the original design, and covering up procedural weaknesses while constructing a 12-story building in Sinamangal, Kathmandu.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal is accused of not conducting an environmental impact assessment while constructing a helipad on 32 ropanis of land it owns in Nalinchok, Bhaktapur. There is suspicion of irregularities in the purchase of transmitter and receiver tower technology from China to monitor aircraft flying through Pokhara Airport. The Authority is investigating these projects that are accused of irregularities. It is appropriate to investigate, but it is not appropriate to spend a long time on the investigation.
There is a lot of corruption in any state system. That is why different institutions are established in the state for monitoring and balancing. The more effectively those institutions work and produce results, the more those involved in corruption are taken to task. For example, if the Authority conducts a thorough investigation and prosecution in a corruption case and the court punishes the guilty with the same seriousness, the public's trust in the institutions increases. Those involved in corruption also anticipate that action may be taken against them and hesitate.
This will not only contribute to reducing corruption, but also increase trust in the state system. Its benefits will ultimately reach all state institutions. The possibility of effective performance by all institutions increases. On the contrary, when there is no effective investigation, no prosecution, and it is not established that the guilty will be punished, distrust in the system increases. Therefore, the quick completion of the investigation and prosecution by the authority in a particular case is also linked to its contribution to increasing the trust of the citizens in the state system.
In different cases, the names of different characters from the political and administrative leadership are often linked. They may or may not be guilty. But after the accusations are made, the way society views them is different. Even if they are accused, in the eyes of society, they are like guilty.
Therefore, it is also necessary to conclude the investigation, prosecution, and court verdict quickly and clear the charges against the person concerned. If a person is innocent, he should not have to bear the burden of the accusations. Whoever is found guilty, he will be punished. Therefore, it is appropriate to conclude the entire process quickly to end the situation where people have to live with accusations for a long time and suffer damage to social capital through it.
If the investigation is not completed on time, it is not possible to build trust among the public that action will be taken against the corrupt. In Nepal, political and administrative leadership has been involved in corruption for a long time, but it is not found to be taken seriously. Instead, due to the influence of political and administrative power, they have been granted technical immunity. This is causing anger and frustration among the citizens.
One of the main reasons for the Gen-G movement on 23 and 24 Bhadra was the lack of trust that even though corruption exists everywhere in the country, the accused are properly investigated and the guilty are taken to court. Therefore, an important lesson to be learned after the Gen-G movement is the effective operation of institutions established to fight corruption. For that, the initiative of the concerned institutions should be important. The state should also appoint a clean image and strong-willed leadership in bodies like the Authority. In addition, it should provide sufficient manpower, technology, and resources.
When there is corruption in any project, the specified cost is not spent on the construction of the physical/non-physical infrastructure of the related project. This increases the possibility of substandard construction. When corruption increases, not only is there misuse of citizens' taxes, but the image of the country in the national and international forums becomes negative. Because, Nepal has been known as a country with high corruption for decades, it is put on the bad list of international organizations. Foreign investment is affected. The view of Nepal in the international forum is not good. It negatively affects the country's development prospects. That is why institutions like the Authority need to move quickly, not be slow.
