Irregularities rampant in civic body

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, August 26

Many an official at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City are complained of demanding bribes and commissions with people even in the public development projects contributed by them. They are also nitpicked for violating democratic system.

The KMC carries out many public development projects in coordination with the people, who contribute 40 per cent of the total cost of a development project. According to the KMC, about 70 projects of Rs 50 million in partnership with public and 28 projects of Rs 100 million under tender in the body were carried out in the last fiscal year.

“There is not any certain rule in sharing the project with public,” said Rajesh Tiwari, a local of Chandol in KMC-4. “It varies depending on commissions,” he added.

Tiwari said that there were innumerable cases of fraud relating to tender and development projects. “When we shared 20 per cent of the project to conserve the public land at Chandol, a KMC overseer working in our ward demanded some Rs 5,000 for evaluating the performance and approving file,” he said.

The engineers and officials of the KMC approve the project tender at the unnecessarily high budget, said Tiwari. “A contractor proposes Rs 1 million for a work of about Rs 200,000 and the KMC officials approve it for the commission,” he said.

“On the other hand, the KMC officials linger approving project file till the locals will be forced to pay them amount based on the size of the project,” said Tiwari, adding that they were also asked for some amount. “We complained of the case at KMC, which assured to take action but to no avail yet,” he said.

Suraj Shamkya, an engineer at the KMC, said that it was not a single instance but was common culture in the civic body. “I am totally against it but I cannot change them,” he said.

Another engineer at the KMC said that there was also bad culture in the body. “People come with files lacking necessary documents. When I marked them other officials manipulated it for bargaining the loopholes and now I stopped it and remain silence now,” he explained.

“Ordinary people are exploited while the persons in contact with secretaries and high ranking officials make them influence in the works even if lacking necessary documents,” wondered Shakya. “Is it democratic culture we are following or practising?”

Niranjan Baral, government secretary and newly appointed Chief Executive of the KMC said that he had heard about such dishonest activities in the body. “I am briefing with all the department staff regarding the service delivery and good governance,” he said. “I know little about KMC now and can say only after the detailed study later,” he added.