The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is gearing up to take action against the wives, children, and relatives of high-ranking government officials and ministers who have misused their privileges of red [special issue official] passports. The CIAA decided to act after investigating appeals regarding the misuse of red passports and has directed the Foreign Ministry and concerned departments to provide a list of red passports distributed to date, along with details.

The Commission has decided that only government officials, and not their kin, are entitled to use red passports and even they may only use them for official visits. The passports have to be returned to the concerned department upon completion of the official trips. In a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concerned departments, the CIAA has warned that the directives have to be implemented within three months, otherwise stern action will be taken.

According to reports, among those that have misused their official passports are the spouses of ministers. The Commission has warned that if this trend does not stop in the specified three months, it will take action against the members of the present council of ministers and their better halves. Even now, the youngest wife of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh and a host of other ministers' wives have travelled using red passports to Japan and South Korea to watch the World Cup, and for shopping trips abroad.