BARDIBAS: The Bardibas office of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has launched an investigation into Pashupati Adarsha Secondary School in Lahan Municipality-1, Siraha, over allegations of collecting millions of rupees from businesspersons under the guise of renting out shop shutters that were never constructed.
The investigation has drawn in former minister and Nepali Congress central committee member Padma Narayan Chaudhary. Chaudhary served as the chairman of the school management committee during his tenure as a Member of Parliament, which is when the funds were allegedly collected from the traders.
According to reports, the school, based on decisions made by the management committee, collected between two to five hundred thousand rupees from 89 businesspersons, totaling over five million rupees, for the construction of shop shutters. However, more than twelve years have passed since the money was collected, and the shutters have yet to be built.
The school’s accounts reportedly show that all the funds have been spent, leaving neither the shops constructed nor the traders’ investments returned. It is in this context that the CIAA in Bardibas has initiated its investigation.
Typically, community schools are required to open accounts for financial transactions in designated banks with the recommendation of the local authorities.
However, sources indicate that this particular school, without the consent of Lahan Municipality, opened an account at Kumari Bank to deposit the funds collected for the shop rentals. Allegations suggest that these funds were then misappropriated from this account.
Furthermore, sources claim that during the 2070 BS (approximately 2013-2014 AD) Constituent Assembly election, then-school management committee chairman Padma Narayan Chaudhary allegedly asked the then-principal, Parameshwar Ray, to issue a 5 million rupee cheque at a lodge.
After reportedly issuing the cheque as a loan, Principal Ray also allegedly handled over 5 million rupees in a similar manner.
Sources close to the matter claim that Chairman Chaudhary used this amount for his election campaign.
The then-principal, Ray, has since retired, and the school management committee has also seen a change in leadership.
The current chair is Dhirendra Chaudhary, who is reportedly close to Padma Narayan. Local guardians state that despite the change in principal and chairman, the businesspersons’ grievances remain unresolved.
The CIAA Bardibas office has, in the first phase of its investigation, sent a letter to Lahan Municipality, requesting it to conduct its own inquiry and submit relevant documents and its opinion on the matter.
A local leader believes that a thorough investigation and submission of documents by the municipality will ensure justice for the affected businesspersons and lead to action against those involved in corruption.
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