KALIKOT: The Nepali Congress has expressed serious concern over the alleged misappropriation of relief funds meant for landslide victims in Narharinath Rural Municipality of Kalikot district.
The party has warned of internal disciplinary action if the relief is not distributed to the rightful victims immediately.
The controversy centers around Rs 543,005 handed over by the popular Indreni TV program and Indreni Social Organization to rural municipality chairperson Nagendra Bista in February 2024.
The amount was collected specifically to support victims of the devastating landslides that struck wards 5, 6, and 9 of the rural municipality during the monsoon of 2077–78 BS.
Though the funds were meant to reach displaced and affected families, they have not yet been distributed, prompting outrage from local leaders and the party.
Chairperson Bista, who is also the secretary of the Nepali Congress Kalikot district committee, received the relief funds via cheque in a public event attended by Indreni host Krishna Kandel and municipal officials.
Despite repeated instructions from the party to disburse the funds, Bista has allegedly ignored them. Nepali Congress Kalikot has now threatened action.
“The party secretary and rural municipality chairperson has repeatedly defied party directives,” said district vice-president Min Bahadur Bogati. “Our president has publicly issued a warning on social media.”
According to rural municipality spokesperson and ward-9 chairperson Pradeep Bohora, the funds were collected for families who lost homes or lives during the disaster.
He said the cheque had been handed to Chairperson Bista in the presence of all ward chairs and the vice-chairperson, after discussions on whether to deposit the amount into the official municipal account.
“There was initial talk of depositing the relief into the rural municipality’s account,” Bohora explained, “but due to procedural complications with government fund disbursement, it was decided to issue the cheque directly in the name of the chairperson.” However, he added, “We don’t know what happened to the cheque after that or how it was cashed.”
Local Congress leaders and community members have now demanded a full explanation and immediate disbursement of the funds to the affected families. If not, they say the party will initiate disciplinary measures against those responsible.
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