Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: CPN (Maoist Center) lawmakers have demanded a government response to an audio tape allegedly linked to a bribery scandal involving Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Raj Kumar Gupta.
Speaking at the meeting of the House of Representatives on Sunday, they called on the government to clarify the controversy surrounding the tape, which appears to implicate Minister Gupta in a bribery deal.
Stating that a corruption “deal” involving Minister Gupta and the Minister for Land Management has been exposed by multiple media outlets, Maoist Center Chief Whip Hit Raj Pandey urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to address the House and take concrete steps toward good governance.
Similarly, Rekha Sharma of the Maoist Center claimed that both ministers were involved in a bribe worth Rs 7.8 million—allegedly for halting the transfer of a civil servant and appointing another individual to a government agency. She demanded that the Prime Minister brief Parliament and ensure a thorough investigation is carried out.
Another Maoist Centre lawmaker, Sudan Kirati, said the government, which was formed to promote good governance, has now been tarnished by allegations of misgovernance. He said that the government must inform the House about the accusations against the two ministers.
In the audio tape, an individual, allegedly Minister Gupta, can be heard negotiating a bribe of Rs 7.8 million to stop a civil servant’s transfer and to appoint someone else to the Land Reform Commission.
