KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 8The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority lodged a corruption case at the special court today against seven people, including former Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning of Madhes Province for corruption of fund of the Jhalanath Khanal Institute of Health Sciences. Recommendation for the appointment of 36 judges PM Dahal vows to fight for the rights of Gurkhas, Nepali migrants abroad The anti-graft body has charged them of corruption in the snake breeding programme of the Jhalanath Khanal Health Sciences Academy.

The Authority has filed a case against seven people, including the then Minister of Madhes Province Bijay Kumar Yadav, Economic Affairs Secretary Prem Kumar Shrestha, the then Mayor of Lalbandi Municipality Man Bahadur Khadka and the chairman, secretary general, treasurer and members of the Khanal Institute, for embezzling Rs 179.833 million.The anti-graft body launched investigation based on the complaint that there were irregularities in the establishment, management and operation of the Anti-Venom Production -Research Centre Nepal in collaboration with Jhalanath Khanal Health Institute Nepal in Lalbandi Municipality of Sarlahi. Spokesperson of the CIAA Bhola Dahal said that during investigation into the complaint, it was confirmed that public property worth Rs 179.833 million was misappropriated and misused.

According to the CIAA, the then minister Bijay Kumar Yadav has been recommended for imprisonment in accordance with section 24 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002.The government had provided the budget for this programme as a matching grant through the Madhes Province government's budget statement for the fiscal 2019-20.

Further, the CIAA has sought Rs 32.7 million from the then Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning Prem Kumar Shrestha and Rs 179.833 million from the Academy chair Rewati Prasad Panta, General Secretary Nawaraj Bhandari and member Debendra Ray and imprisonment for them.A version of this article appears in the print on October 9, 2023, of The Himalayan Times .

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