Corruption thriving at the local level
While federating the nation, the politicians assured us saying there would be Singha Durbar at the doorstep of the people at the grassroots, to enable people to script their future. They told us that it would enable the local people to develop plans, policies, and programs as per their needs and aspirations. They make us believe that it will improve local governance and curtail corruption at the local level. But this has been a lofty dream sold by the politicians as corruption at the local level continues to thrive
Corruption has been the biggest challenge facing the nation ever since we restored democracy. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index 2023, an annual flagship publication of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption group based in Berlin, it ranked in the 110th position in 2022 and was 117th in 2021. Similarly, Transparency International uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is the most corrupt and 100 is the least corrupt. A score below 50 is considered to have a relatively higher level of corruption in a country, according to the anti-corruption advocacy body.
The corruption cases at the national level revolve around gold smuggling, fake Bhutanese refugees, wide-body etc.. At the local level, corruption cases are frequently reported while implementing programs aimed at empowering citizens, mainly women from ultra-vulnerable communities. In 2022, the Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority (CIAA) registered a corruption case against six people including the then secretary of Madhesh Province at the Special Court in Kathmandu. The CIAA accused them of carrying out financial irregularities worth Rs 103.3 million in the name of the Beti Padhau, Beti Bachau (Educate Daughters, Save Daughters) campaign.
The constitutional anticorruption watchdog claimed that there are irregularities in the Beti Padhau, Beti Bachau campaign which was very popular in Madhesh Province. As part of the campaign, branded bicycles were said to be distributed to female students in the province. The CIAA has registered a corruption case after it was found that despite the amount paid according to the agreement to buy branded bicycles, sub-standard bicycles were brought and the purchased bicycles were stored in the warehouse for three months.
A few days ago, CIAA filed a corruption case at the Special Court against the Mayor of Bagmati Municipality of Sarlahi district, Bharat Kumar Thapa, on the charge of acquiring wealth illegally. The anti-graft agency has alleged that Thapa accumulated property worth Rs 53.3 million through misuse of his position from September 2017 to February 2023. The anti-graft agency has alleged that Thapa accumulated property worth Rs 53.3 million through misuse of his position from September 2017 to February 2023. The agency has sought recovery of the amount along with an equal fine. It is not understandable what led people with such affluence to engage in financial embezzlement affecting the state coffer. Not very far away, the situation in Sudurpaschim Province is not good either. Just recently, a report of financial embezzlement was reported in Mangalsen Municipality-12, Accham district. According to media reports, the Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office was planning to fund the construction of eight public taps in Chhapdanda. With a population of around 750 as per the municipal records, Chhapdanda village has been grappling with water shortage for decades. The villagers were very happy thinking that they would not have to bear the brunt of lack of adequate supply of safe and drinking water. But their joy did not last long. The water project failed as it has been reported that there was abuse of authority to earn quick money. The local people blamed the lack of effective monitoring on the part of the concerned authorities and the strong nexus between government authorities and contractors for institutionalizing corruption in the district. Over the years, several programs aimed at curbing corruption were envisioned and implemented across the country. Likewise, there are several watchdog bodies at the national level. Despite this, corruption continues to thrive and plague the nation. A cursory look at the prevailing situation clearly suggests that local politicians, elected leaders and frontline officer bearers work in tandem to earn elicit money. The projects which are supposed to be implemented for the benefit of the people are carried out to benefit the political activists and cadres bypassing its objective completely. It is anybody’s guess when projects with such intention are envisioned and implemented, it will only breed corruption. Many experts say that unaccountability on the part of the concerned authorities is costing dear to governance. Their views and opinions cannot be disregarded altogether as every institution, be it at the local level or central, has been endowed with unaccountable office bearers whose only intention is to make hay while the sun shines. The founder of modern Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah, decreed that the state machinery adopt a stringent policy of “zero tolerance” towards corruption 250 years ago, saying that both bribe takers and bribe givers are the worst enemies of the nation. Now, the onus lies on us whether we, as a service seeker, should grease the palms of the frontline officer bearers. As things stand now, the people have lost hope that their community will ever be corruptionfree. Frustration among the people is all-time high as corruption has eaten away all the funds earmarked for local development. One should not be surprised when we top the ranking in terms of corruption across the globe.