‘Local elected representatives under CIAA scrutiny’

Parbat / Apr 12: Dr Sabitri Gurung, commissioner of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), said the anti-graft body was scrutinizing the performance of local people-elected representatives with the rise in public complaints on irregularities and corruption.

Gurung said this at an interaction organised by CIAA regional office Pokhara in Parbat on Thursday. She made it clear that they have remained watchful of irregularities allegedly propping up at the local level and action on graft cases could be taken anytime.

The tendency of rampantly formulating rules and unwise spending has increased at the local level, she said, adding the people’s representatives undertaking legally-prohibited works are more likely to face an allegation of corruption. Appointment of relatives in users’ committee, mobilisation of construction equipment of own and relatives and exploitation of natural resources on the involvement of people’s representatives are increasingly taking place at the local level as per the public complaints, she added.

The people’s representatives should be ready to prevent the occurrence of such wrongdoings or to face actions, she asserted. On the occasion, journalists also expressed worry on the rise of irregularities at the local level and government offices. However, people’s representatives speaking on the occasion drew CIAA attention that their rights have been curtailed when there were ill-efforts meant to prevent them from carrying out innovative works for the public good. RSS