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Passage Abroad: VVIPs wiping coffers clean
KATHMANDU, SEP 01 -
Here are two recent examples of how our VVIPs are milking the state coffers to finance foreign junkets for their near and dear ones. The proud records go to none other than the country’s head of the state President Ram Baran Yadav and head of the government Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The visits take place in September and October, respectively. President Dr Yadav heads to China and Prime Minister Nepal to the United Nations, New York. Both entourages are loaded with relatives, unwelcome guests and aides—the numbers well over the benchmark set by the hosts.
Nepal usually gets just five seats in the United Nations General Assembly every year since the Panchyat system and that was strictly followed. However, the caretaker Prime Minister whose legitimacy is questioned whether he holds any right to make a political or policy commitment on the UN platform, is all set to visit with a horde of 30 members in UNGA, New York, beginning form Sept. 17.
“Two dozen names have been finalised for the junket. We are yet to get the names of lawmakers who are attending the GA,” an official privy to preparing the groundwork of the trip said. UN will reimburse the expenditure incurred by five dignitaries and the rest of the bill including two-way airfare, daily allowance, hotel accommodation will be footed by the Nepal Government, which claims it has launched an austerity drive.
Two security officials and three journalists are riding piggyback as well. There will be a separate list given by Foreign Minister Koirala which is yet to be finalised.
Former Ambassador Dr Lok Raj Baral questioned the credibility of the PM’s trip to New York. “As a caretaker PM, why does he have to go there?” said Baral. “In 1991, Interim PM Krishna Prasad Bhattrai instructed then Nepal’s envoy to UN Jaya Pratap Rana to participate in the UN meetings and segment saying that he country is devoted to the statut writing process and that he cannot lose a single minute. Moreover, since decades we have five quotas for UNGA and no need for jumbo delegations.”
The upcoming China visit of President Dr. Yadav during the closing ceremony of Shanghai expo (Oct. end) is also a case in point. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) will hand over to the Chinese side the list of guests.
Limpets on the junkets
New York trip
Madhav Kumar Nepal Prime Minister
Sujata Koirala Foreign Minister
Gyatri Nepal Spouse of PM
Ishwor Pokhrel CPN-UML
Meera Dhouju Spouse of Pokhrel
Kul Chandra Gautam Nepal’s candidate for UNGA
Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel NPC Vice Chair
Gyan Chandra Achrya Nepal’s envoy to UN
Rajan Bhattarai PM’s Foreign Advisor
Madan Kumar Bhattarai Foreign Secretary
Ram Chandra Man Singh Secretary at PMO
Durga Bhattarai JS, MoFA
Hari Kumar Shrestha JS, MoFA
Lal Shanker Ghimire JS, Finance Ministry
Mukti Nath Bhatta Chief of Protocol
Pushpa Man Shrestha JS, NPC
Three journalists NTV/ National News Agency
China trip
Dr Ram Baran Yadav President
Anita Yadav Prez’s daughter
Madan Kumar Bhattarai Foreign Secretary
Baman Neupane Secretary at the president office
Mukti Nath Bhatta Chief of Protocol
Rudra Nepal JS, MoFA
Rajendra Dahal Press Advisor to the president
Lalit Basnet Advisor to the president
Personal doctor of president
Protocol officer
An aide to president
Dharmendra Jha FNJ President
Two ADCs to president
Posted on: 2010-09-02 08:30
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