Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against eight individuals, including Dr Namrata Singh, the former secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives of Madhesh Province. The CIAA filed the charge sheet at the Special Court on Monday.
The CIAA has alleged in the charge sheet that the accused caused a loss of Rs 1o million to the state through misappropriation of funds allocated for agriculture, livestock, and fisheries development programs in the fiscal year 2022/23.
Shankar Prasad Sah, then chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dhanusha; Amar Chandra Mandal, Agriculture Extension Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative Development; Assistant Accountant Kumar Sah; and Laxmi Narayan Yadav, director of Yuvarani Fishery and Agriculture Farm in Aurahi-3, Mahottari, along with the farm itself. Additionally, the ministry’s then Veterinary Officer Ranjit Kumar Adhikari, Agriculture Extension Officer Abinash Kumar Jha, and Agriculture Economist Bikas Kumar Sah have been named defendants.
According to the CIAA, the accused used fake invoices for payments and procured items that did not meet the required specifications.
The charge sheet also claims that the selection committee unlawfully included the application of Yuvarani Fishery and Agriculture Farm Pvt Ltd for the grant, despite the firm failing to submit its application within the stipulated deadline. The firm’s application also did not meet the necessary selection criteria, according to the anti-graft body.
