MP Jha Raises Concerns Over SWC Secretary Harboring Chinese Official with Expired Visa

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Manish Jha has raised questions about the role of the member-secretary of the Social Welfare Council. Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee meeting under the House of Representatives on Tuesday, he raised concerns regarding Member Secretary Manoj Bhatta. He stated that the fact that the member secretary facilitated the stay of the country representative of the China Foundation, whose visa had expired, has raised further suspicions.

He emphasized that it is impermissible to disregard the country’s laws by allowing the continued stay of a representative whose visa has expired.

MP Jha questioned why the Social Welfare Council is persisting with tenders that have been contested in court.

The Chinese official referred to by MP Jha is Zou Zhiqiang, the chief director of the China Foundation for Rural Development.

Chief Director Zhiqiang, who reportedly encountered difficulties during relief distribution in the aftermath of the Jajarkot earthquake, was residing in Nepal illegally after the expiration of her visa. The Immigration Department alerted the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 28 about Zou’s visa violation. Their communication highlighted that Zou had overstayed her permitted duration, prompting a request to the Ministry to take necessary action to prevent her re-entry into Nepal within the current visa year. According to the department’s letter, the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to deport Zhiqiang from Nepal.

Zou Zhiqiang, a prominent figure in the Chinese organization, was subsequently deported from Nepal with a fine of Rs 15,000 under the Immigration Act on February 1st.