It has been found that over Rs 4 million the government had earmarked for the victims of decade long conflict in Banke district has been embezzled by local political party leaders and activists.
The Ministry for Peace and Reconstruction had provided the aforesaid amount for a special income generation program meant for conflict victims in the district in the year 2011. But reports say that the aforesaid amount didn’t trickle down to the real victims of decade-long Maoist insurgency, and was instead misappropriated by powerful activists and leaders of various parties, often in cahoots.
Reports say that leaders and activists close to UCPN (M) of constituency 1 and 4 are found to have embezzled the money meant for conflict victims while activists of Madhesi as well as other fringe parties have misused the same.
The office-bearers of the local conflict-victim committee as well as few influential activists had taken the money by submitting forged vouchers which showed that they had purchased cows, buffaloes and other livestocks but which in fact either already belonged to them or were owned by their neighbours.
“It is unfortunate that the real conflict victims didn’t get the money that was provided in their name,” Chandra Kala Uprety, chairperson of Society of Conflict Victims for Justice. Uprety’s husband had died during the conflict period. “The conflict victims in the district have not received even a penny of the money earmarked for them.” Nepalnews.com