Public Account Committee asks to furnish details on misuse of state fund

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the council of ministers to submit within ten days a report on misuse of state fund during the interim period since the King sacked the elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on October 4, 2002 until reinstatement of the House of Representatives in April this year.

The first meeting of the committee held on Wednesday after the restoration of the House of Representatives (HoR) directed all the ministries to send details within 10 days so that the committee can probe details of expenditure.

The PAC has also directed the ministries to table detailed reports pertaining to financial assistance, donations, prizes, expenses incurred in state-funded medical treatments, receptions, foreign tours, besides funds issued to suppress the people's movement.

The committee has also asked the government to present reports about the work done regarding the reform process of the two largest commercial banks of the country.

The PAC also instructed the ministries to produce all the details of distribution of funds under "secret budget."

Meanwhile, the state affairs committee instructed the acting chief secretary of the government, Mukunda Sharma Poudel, to appear before the committee on Thursday and Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula on Friday to inform about the present government's strategy to implement the House declaration and peace-building process.

The meeting also decided to form various sub-committees to probe into arrears pertaining to various government agencies. nepalnews.com pb June 29 06