Public Accounts Committee to Resolve Complaints Within 15 Days

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has committed to investigating 48 selected complaints and delivering a resolution within 15 days. The decision was made during a committee meeting chaired by President Rishikesh Pokharel.

To expedite the process, the committee has established seven thematic task forces to study the complaints. The committee secretariat will seek feedback from relevant authorities within seven days, aiming to reach a decision within the stipulated time frame.

Among the selected complaints, six relate to Nepal Telecom, five to the Securities Board, and six to the Civil Aviation Authority, Lumbini Development Trust, and Nepal Airlines Corporation under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. Other complaints involve issues related to Nepal Scouts, Nepal Television, the Department of Foreign Employment, the Ministry of Finance, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), crusher industries, Nepal Electricity Authority, mobile banking, the Telecommunication Authority, the Department of Health Services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sports Council, and the Ministry of Urban Development.

Complaints regarding the return of government land, the purchase of SIM locators by the Central Bureau of Investigation, insurance matters, and road gravelling are also included in the investigation.

A sub-committee led by member Sanjay Kumar Gautam had initially recommended investigating only 48 of the 100 complaints submitted since the committee’s formation on April 28, 2023. The remaining 52 complaints were excluded due to ongoing investigations by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), pending court cases, baseless allegations driven by bias, and issues beyond the committee’s jurisdiction.

The committee also directed the sub-committee to submit a report within the next 15 days regarding alleged irregularities in the construction of Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports.