KATHMANDU: In what can be dubbed as a peculiar situation, a hotel where CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Oli lodged, found itself tangled in a financial dispute.

A notice purportedly from the CPN-UML District Committee Bhojpur, dated December 25, 2023, demanded overdue loan details from a local hotel.

District President Sharan Kumar Rai and Finance Department Head Rama Devi Rai spearheaded the notice, urging stakeholders to disclose outstanding debts, including loans extended to the party.

The notice stipulated a deadline of December 24, 2023, for settling debts relating to various amenities utilized by the UML district committee.

Failure to comply would absolve the district party office from responsibility for unpaid bills, it said.

The genesis of this notice stemmed from grievances over UML’s failure to repay loans from the 2079 BS local and general elections.

Despite the warning, UML’s district committee and leaders remained delinquent in reimbursing party-related expenses, including those incurred during the mid-hill campaign.

Notably, during the campaign, which spanned from November 30 to December 17, 2023, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and party luminaries visited Bhojpur on December 13, 2023.

Oli, accompanied by a sizable entourage, was accommodated at Hotel Bhintuna, a hotel whose expenses were purportedly underwritten by the UML district committee.

However, the hotel proprietor, Rajkumar Shrestha, alleged that Oli’s accommodation was provided despite prior unpaid debts owed by the UML.

Room 304, reserved for Oli, exemplified this pattern, raising eyebrows over the party’s financial integrity.

Despite assurances from UML leadership, outstanding dues remain unresolved, casting a shadow over the party’s financial probity.

Notably, the Bhintuna Hotel owes a substantial sum of 1 lakh 67 thousand 525 rupees for hosting former Prime Minister Oli and other party members over three days.

This debt predates recent events, illustrating a pattern of non-payment, according to the hotel.

Owner Shrestha highlighted UML’s prolonged indebtedness, citing an unpaid bill of Rs 53, rupees dating back two years.

Even subsequent stays by another UML leader Raghubir Mahaseth and leader Kripashur Sherpa failed to prompt settlement, with 25 thousand 990 rupees remaining outstanding.

The burden extends beyond the hotel, with local businesses also grappling with unpaid loans.

A printing press owner lamented UML’s refusal to settle a loan exceeding 1 lakh rupees over three years.

Efforts to engage UML leadership have proven futile, with calls for payment going unanswered.

Despite pledges from district figures like Sharan Kumar Rai, promises remain unfulfilled.

Bhojpur Municipality Deputy Mayor Nirmala Sherpa expressed astonishment upon settling a loan on behalf of UML, indicating a disconnect between leadership assurances and actions.

The opacity surrounding the allocation of funds further underscores concerns regarding financial transparency within the party.