Prime Minster and Ministers disclose assets

MINISTER’S PROPERTY MOSTLY IN SPOUSE’S NAMES, MAHASETH THE RICHEST MINISTER

KATHMANDU, May 24: Personal property details of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and some cabinet ministers have been made public amid programs on Wednesday.

Section 50 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 BS requires sitting Prime Minister, ministers and other high ranking government officials to disclose their personal property details within 60 days after assuming the office.

PM Oli, according to his asset disclosure, has Rs 4.2 million cash, which he earned as salary. He has one and a half ropanis land in Bhaktapur, 10 kattas land in Jhapa, and a two-and-a-half storey house in Bhaktapur in his wife Radha Shakya’s name.

All the aforementioned property has been self-generated income, it has been said.
Likewise, he has possessed Rs 1 million cash deposited in Machhapuchhere Bank and Prabhu Bank in Radha’s name. Similarly, he has owned National Savings Bond worth Rs 2.5 million in Radha’s name, which she earned as a first class employee at Nepal Rastra Bank.

Similarly, Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel has possessed 12 katthas land in Chandragadhi, Jhapa, and a three-storey house at Tokha in Kathmandu in his name. He has owned shares of Nepal Investment Bank worth Rs 700,000.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has also listed two dogs gifted by his neighbors as his property. He only has Rs 20,000 in his savings account, while all other properties are owned by his wife and his party. Thapa’s spouse Nainakala Thapa has possessed one kattha and 0.75 dhur land at Bharatpur-10, Chitrasen Road in Chitwan. Likewise, he has owned six tolas of gold and cash Rs 300,000.

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Prasad Adhikari, who has Rs 2.5 million in bank deposits, owns the highest amount of gold — 60 tolas —listed as ancestral property.  He has 94 ropanis as ancestral property in Kaski district, besides five anas in Budhanilkantha Municipality, Kathmandu.

Pramila Devi, wife of Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Yadav, owns more property than her husband. She has a plot of land worth Rs 10,500,000 in Chapagaun, Lalitpur. She also owns two plots of land in Siraha and Dhanusha worth Rs 4.5 million, 10 tola  gold and a vehicle.

Likewise, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali has a two-storey building constructed at three ana of land in Kathmandu. The property details he submitted include balance of Rs 257,000 in Everest Bank and Rs 2,000 in Agriculture Development Bank.

Finance Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada has possessed land worth Rs 14.9 million.
Likewise, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lalbabu Pandit disclosed his property including a five-room house constructed in a kattha land in Biratnagar, Morang.

Minister for Law Sher Bahadur Tamang has a two-and-a-half storey building in Kathmandu in his spouse’s name. The property details include that Minister Tamang also has owned property in Sindhupalchowk, Morang and Khotang.

Minister of Labor and Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista has  land in Kathmandu Metropolis in his wife Pratima Shrestha’s name which is worth four million rupees. He has some land in Gulmi, besides seven tola gold.

Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Tham Maya Thapa Magar is the least wealthy among the Cabinet members with seven anas and one paisa land in her home district of Myagdi and one tola gold. She only has Rs 15,000 in her savings account.

Among the ministers having least property is Minister of  Drinking Water Bina Thapa Magar, who  has three kattha land in Chitwan-  two kattha in the name of her late husband Prakash Dahal and one kattha in the name of her mother-in-law Sita Dahal. She also owns five tola gold and 16 tola silver.