NC Pressures for Parliamentary Inquiry into Misappropriation of Cooperative Funds, Directs Focus on Home Minister

The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) intensified its push for accountability by submitting a proposal demanding the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee. The objective: to delve into the alleged misappropriation of cooperative funds, with Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane squarely in their crosshairs.

NC’s Joint General Secretary, Jeevan Pariyar, spearheaded the party’s stance during a pivotal meeting of the task force on Friday morning. This task force, tasked with crafting the terms of reference for the inquiry committee, has been mired in a deadlock over the specifics.

“The meeting failed to yield concrete decisions. Today, we reiterated our concerns,” Pariyar expressed to reporters post the meeting. “Yesterday, we received a draft terms of reference from the ruling party. Today, we’ve submitted our written stance on that.”

Central to NC’s demand is the insistence on mentioning Home Minister Lamichhane in the inquiry committee’s terms of reference. Pariyar underlined NC’s steadfast position, asserting that funds from various cooperatives allegedly found their way to Gorkha Media Network, with the home minister allegedly implicated in the misappropriation.

CPN-UML’s Chief Whip, Mahesh Bartaula, had previously disclosed NC’s proposition to include cooperatives allegedly involving Lamichhane if direct naming proves contentious. However, resistance from the government’s side remains palpable.

“The government insists on excluding the home minister’s name from the task force. Yet, we refuse to endorse any committee that sidelines probing into the alleged involvement of the home minister in misusing cooperative funds,” Pariyar reaffirmed. “Our party’s stance remains unwavering.”