Himal Press 
BUTWAL: Recent data released by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) show how deeply rooted corruption is in Lumbini Province.
The statistics, made public on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), reveal that despite loud slogans of development and prosperity, the province is plagued by widespread under-the-table dealings and policy-level irregularities.
A total of 4,428 corruption-related complaints were registered from Lumbini Province alone in a year. This means that, on average, more than 12 corruption complaints are being filed every day.
According to Binita Bhattarai, chief of the CIAA’s Butwal office, out of 1,853 complaints received in the previous fiscal year, 1,609, or 86.36% of complaints, were resolved. However, the inflow of new complaints has continued unabated.
By mid-January of the current fiscal year, a total of 1,188 complaints had been registered. “Of them, 545 have been settled. Out of 104 complaints under detailed investigation at the Butwal office, 37 have already been resolved,” she added.
The most troubling aspect of the data relates to corruption at the local level. Nationwide, the CIAA and its subordinate offices received a total of 37,026 complaints. Naerly 54% of these complaints were related to local governments.
Large-scale irregularities are frequently seen in budget allocation, projects carried out through consumer committees, and procurement processes in local governments. Data show 33.69% of total complaints relate to federal government bodies, while 12.47% concern provincial government agencies.
Bhattarai said that most complaints registered at the CIAA are related to the land and forestry sector, subsidy programs in agriculture and livestock, exploitation of natural resources, project construction and procurement, consumer committee activities, construction and procurement in the education sector, and the purchase of medicines and equipment in the health sector.
Meanwhile, Lumbini Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya said government employees have begun avoiding even essential work due to the CIAA’s 21-point directive and the fear of investigations. “This tendency has hampered the performance of the provincial government,” he added.
