Bring back investigation agencies under ministries-Dr Koirala

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Shekhar Koirala stressed the need to take out the National Investigation Department and Department of Revenue Investigation from the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and keep both the agencies under the ministries as were in the past.

At an interaction programme organized by the Democratic Thought Society at the liaison office of Dr Koirala today, he said as the NC has already decided to keep both the departments under the jurisdiction of line ministries as practiced earlier, it should not be delayed anymore to transform into action.

He stressed that both the departments should be put under the jurisdiction of ministries so as not to obstruct the democratic process. "NC has already taken the decision to return both the agencies to the ministries. It was not implemented when party President Sher Bahadur Deuba was in government leadership. It should not be delayed to translate the decision into action when NC is in government now", leader Koirala added.

He noted people have not trusted that there would be fair investigation and guilty be slapped with action on graft cases when documenting officers go jail but decision-takers are not booked over the Lalita land grab scam.

Leader Koirala said the Lalita land grab case was brought to fore to overshadow the fake Bhutanese refugee case and gold case to relegate refugee case to the backburner.

"There has been a regular meeting among top leaders of three major political parties. But surprisingly, people do not get information about the reasons of the meeting among top leaders. The country has continuously faced loss due to obstruction to the parliament. The top leadership is not serious to this effect. The ownership of main political parties to the federalism has remained opaque", Dr Koirala asserted.

Indicating at the ongoing pro-identity struggle in the Koshi province, leader Koirala called for adopting meticulous precautionary measures to avert possible big loss due to such unrest.

Saying that the struggle for identity in the Koshi province has been receiving financial support from foreign forces and the indigenous nationalities living abroad, he underlined the need to be sensitive to the impact of the Koshi pro-identity struggle in Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces as well.

Koirala asked the Society to carry out study and research on such issues. The Society should also lay emphasis on running campaign to avert malaises in education, end corruption and impunity and address energy demands of Nepali business community.

He also expressed concern on the efforts of other allies of the ruling coalition to weaken the Nepali Congress by forming socialist front.

Also on the occasion, Society chairperson Kul Chandra Wagle demanded fair investigation into the corruption cases and bring the guilty to legal actions.

Presently the Society has its province committees in all seven provinces and district committees in 71 districts. It has been effortful in institutionalizing democracy in the country since its inception. ---