“Support of all is necessary for materialising the policy of zero tolerance against corruption”

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 11: Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Prem Kumar Rai, has asserted that the support and activeness of all is required to translate into reality the policy of zero tolerance against corruption and the development of a system of integrity.

Addressing a programme organized on the occasion of the 33rd establishment day of CIAA here today, he said CIAA has been fulfilling an active role in checking corruption and promoting good governance in the nation. Noting that there is widespread public complaint that the country’s good governance situation has not improved as expected, the CIAA Chief stressed the need for all to work actively and responsibly for the same.

“The fight against corruption is not that of CIAA alone; there is a need for collective efforts as it is a multi-dimensional topic. Every citizen should be the activist for the establishment of good governance,” reiterated the CIAA Chief Commissioner. According to him, a significant number of complaints related to misuse of public assets in the development and construction works, budget appropriation, subsidy distribution, and service delivery, among other works, to giving and taking of bribes and inducement, to carrying out works with the ill intention of taking illegal benefit and to amassing illegal assets at all the three tiers of the government are lodged with the CIAA after the implementation of federalism till the present.

The CIAA Chief stated that transparency is not seen in public procurement and construction, and the appropriate standards for natural resources are not followed while formulating the budget and programmes. He called on the responsible bodies and office-bearers to become extra responsible when it comes to fulfilling their legal responsibilities on protecting and conserving public property, saying misuse of public land has increased and the tendency of selling the government land for personal purposes was also found.

Chief Commissioner Rai said the CIAA is moving ahead with seriousness towards expanding its investigation jurisdiction and making its works more vigorous in its investigations related to the quality of infrastructures because of the growing public complaints of misappropriations in this sector. He stressed the need to immediately put to an end the anomalies and aberrations seen in the public entities and to promote good governance in the country so as to increase the citizens’ faith in the government.

As he said, the CIAA will move ahead firmly to bring those who are involved in illegal activities into the ambit of legal action. Reminding that it would be difficult to achieve the expected success in corruption control until the political officials in the executive role in all the three tiers of the government, the civil servants and the general public realized their responsibility to that connection, the CIAA Chief called upon all to contribute from their respective places in the national campaign of corruption control.

The CIAA marked its 33rd establishment day around the theme- ‘Let Us Improve Mindset, Culture and Attitude: Corruption Will Come Under Control’. President Ramchandra Paudel, Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Deputy Prime Minister, lawmakers, government high officials, among others, were present on the occasion. At the programme, President Paudel launched the CIAA Souvenir-2080.