KATHMANDU: Barahakshetra Municipality Mayor Ramesh Karki, once hailed for his strong anti-corruption stance and public promises to forgo personal benefits, is now facing mounting criticism over excessive fuel expenditures and a lack of transparency within his administration.
Before being elected, Mayor Karki had pledged to serve the people without taking any salary, allowances, or official perks, and to uncover past corruption within the municipality. However, current data paints a very different picture.
From fiscal year 2022/23 to the end of Baisakh in the current fiscal year 2024/25, Barahakshetra Municipality spent over Rs 24 million on fuel alone, according to figures released through a Right to Information request filed by journalist Bishan Rai.
The fuel consumption and associated costs have steadily risen over the past three years. Despite this, the municipality has yet to establish any official guidelines or procedures for fuel distribution.
Fuel has reportedly been allocated arbitrarily, with each department head receiving 20 liters monthly, and employees with vehicles receiving 10 liters. However, ward chairs have been excluded from regular fuel allocations, except when fuel is requested for disaster management purposes.
The municipality’s fleet includes official vehicles for the mayor, deputy mayor, and chief administrative officer, as well as tractors, motorcycles, a fire engine, and a water tanker.
Despite these resources, there are growing concerns over whether the high fuel consumption aligns with legitimate operational needs. Critics point out that the fuel usage, particularly diesel, is disproportionately high even for a municipality with such a fleet.
In addition to the fuel spending, vehicle maintenance costs have also soared, with over Rs 3 million spent this fiscal year alone—more than enough to purchase a new vehicle annually. These rising expenses have triggered skepticism about the municipality’s financial discipline, especially given Mayor Karki’s earlier commitments.
Moreover, when journalist Rai sought detailed breakdowns of who used how much fuel and for what purpose, the municipality provided only partial information. This selective disclosure contradicts Nepal’s constitutional guarantee of the right to information and suggests deliberate withholding of public records.
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