Nepali Times
From The Nepali Press
Inspections



After an exhaustive first month of investigating inefficiency and graft in administration in the far western zones of Seti and Mahakali, the mobile team only offered directives. Government offices in Doti, Baitadi, Darchula, Dadeldhura, Kailali and Kanchanpur received dozens of instructions to streamline their functions for efficiency and promptness. Although complaints against various NGOs were filed, the mobile team did not initiate any action against them.

Coordinator Champak Sunuwar said the team aimed at immediate improvement in services they found lacking during their office visits. He also said more than 90 percent of complaints filed with the team during their visits to the six districts were unrelated to mandates given to his team. Shankar Raj Baral, a team member, said most complaints were related to land disputes, land distribution to squatters and Kamaiyas.

An evaluation paper prepared by the team revealed an order of continuance to the Irrigation Division at Doti despite the absence of the office chief Umesh Chandra Jha, who has been asked to settle all his pending accounts. The local prison was directed to make arrangements for efficient food supplies, toilet facilities and security.

Baral said the team unearthed cases of long absent employees, unsettled accounts at the district education office and the selling of expired medication at the public health office in Baitadi. They also found bad debts, unpaid AgDB loans, expenditures totalling Rs 57,000 without proper accounting from the district development committee and a huge number of undecided cases at district forest office in Darchula. Sunuwar said all the lapses were noted and immediate steps to redressal had been made. Importantly, district education offices in Bajhang, Achham and Bajura were asked to make arrangement for teachers to return to their appointed schools. Most teachers were found living in district headquarters though they received salaries from schools in remote areas. The functions of land revenue employees were unsatisfactory in Kanchanpur and abuse of authority in land distribution to squatters in Kailali were also noted.

The team has yet to decide what action will be taken. They have made a written request to the home minister to reconsider its decision to establish a DIG office of armed police in the Uttariya area on behalf of the locals. The team was unable to visit the remote areas of Bajhang, Bajura and Achham.


LATEST ISSUE
638
(11 JAN 2013 - 17 JAN 2013)


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