Rajbiraj. Accusing widespread corruption in Shambhunath Municipality, a group of concerned youths submitted a memorandum to Chief District Officer Bhola Dahal on Thursday, demanding investigation into alleged irregularities in the construction of a 15-bed hospital and misuse of public resources.
According to the memorandum, during the fiscal year 2081/82, a special municipal assembly held on 2082 Jestha 2 reportedly reallocated NPR 12.5 million for the hospital project under the influence of Chief Administrative Officer Harimohan Suthihar and Acting Mayor Anita Kumari Chaudhary’s advisor Anil Kumar Bhagat. It is alleged that the payment was processed overnight through the SUTRA system by coercing municipal accountants, and a commission of NPR 2.5 million was taken from contractor Deepak Karki and distributed among the officials.
The memorandum further demands an investigation into municipal employees and advisors allegedly appointed to facilitate illicit commission collection and project sales. It accuses Acting Mayor Chaudhary of misusing municipal machinery, including JCB equipment and fuel, for personal purposes such as digging a private pond, leading to potential revenue embezzlement.
It also calls for inquiry into revenue leakage related to the leasing of public ponds by ward offices, irregularities in contract-based recruitment allegedly favoring political party affiliates, and opaque budget management. Additionally, the youths have urged public disclosure of all contractual hires, expenses, and ward-level programs, and demanded action against responsible elected representatives involved in corruption.
The memorandum specifically highlights that Mayor Jitendra Prasad Gupta, previously implicated in a corruption case, has left Acting Mayor Chaudhary in charge, under whom numerous municipal decisions have allegedly been made under pressure from political operatives and contractors without proper public notice or transparency.
