Himal Press 
POKHARA: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday raided the office of the Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) on Tuesday and seized documents related to tax waivers for investigation.
The Pokhara-based regional office of the constitutional anti-graft body conducted the raid after a complaint alleging unlawful tax exemptions granted to Manipal Teaching Hospital, among others, was lodged with it.
“We have taken relevant documents from the PMC office for investigation following a complaint about tax exemptions given to Manipal. The investigation process will now begin, and further actions will be taken as per the CIAA’s decision,” Jagadish Chandra Shiwakoti, the information officer of the CIAA Pokhara Office, to Himal Press.
PMC has reportedly provided tax exemptions amounting to Rs 792.37 million to Manipal while approving its building drawings.
The Office of the Auditor General, in its annual report for the fiscal year 2021/22, described the tax exemptions provided to Manipal as ‘financial irregularities.’ The report also detailed several other issues at the PMC, including a failure to collect Rs 84 million in royalties from the sale of sand and boulders from Ritthepani Hill, the unlawful hiring of 121 employees which cost the PMC Rs 42.5 million, and unauthorized financial aid distribution to various organizations and individuals.
Additionally, it pointed out the failure to collect revenue from unused resources in the Ramghat area, a loss of Rs 26 million in the Fewa Lake siltation contract, delays in constructing dams on the Harpan and Khahare streams, and irregular payments to multiple consumer committees for the same work. The report also highlighted irregularities in expenses for foreign trips, issues with social security allowances amounting to millions, payments made without proper documentation and hundreds of zero-progress projects.
Meanwhile, the Pokhara Metropolis Committee of CPN-UML has called for an investigation into the irregularities in the PMC.
PMC Mayor Dhanraj Acharya is from the CPN (Unified Socialist), while Deputy Mayor Manju Devi Gurung is from the CPN-UML.
