CIAA files case against ex-secretary Singh, seven others

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Jan. 7: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a charge sheet against eight individuals including Dr. Namrata Singh, the former Secretary of the Madhes Province Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Yuwarani Fishery and Agricultural Farm Pvt. Ltd. for making illegal gains and their involvement in corruption at the Special Court on Monday.

According to the CIAA, the selection committee formed under the coordination of the Senior Agricultural Economist for the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development Programme selected the Yuwarani Fishery and Agricultural Farm Pvt. Ltd. located in Aurahi Municipality-3 of Mahottari district without meeting standards and criteria. It had even selected the farm after the deadline for proposal submission expired by rescheduling the meeting again on January 14, 2023.

The Ministry signed an agreement with the farm on April 12, 2023, with liabilities amounting to Rs. 14,784,000. The agreement mentioned that a bank guarantee of the same amount was required before proceeding with the procurement process. However, the farm presented a cost estimate for the specifications without any verification or comparison. 

Additionally, the farm misused the agreement by providing fake customs declaration documents and falsified purchase details to claim government grants for goods that were never actually purchased.

The CIAA has claimed Rs. 10 million each from former Secretary Singh, former Senior Agricultural Economist and former Office Head of Agricultural Knowledge Centre Dhanusha Shankar Prasad Shah, Agricultural Extension Officer Amar Chandra Mandal, second class non-gazetted account Brajesh Kumar Shah and operator of the Yuwarani Fishery and Agricultural Farm Pvt. Ltd. Laxmi Narayan Yadav.

Additionally, the CIAA also presented former Veterinarian of the Madhes Province Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ranjit Kumar Adhikari, the Agricultural Extension Officer Avinash Kumar Jha and former Directorate of Agricultural Development in Dhanusha, Economist Vikas Kumar Sah as defendants in the charge-sheet.