The meeting convened by House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire to facilitate smooth operation of the House has ended inconclusively with both the ruling coalition and the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) adamant on their respective stances.
The meeting featuring CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and chief whips of the four parties failed to reach any conclusion.
NC has been raising the issue of cooperatives scam in the House and demanding a parliamentary committee to investigate involvement of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Home Minister Lamichhane in the scam. But it has yet to obstruct the House over the issue.
The Monday’s meeting failed to reach any conclusion with the ruling coalition refusing to form the parliamentary committee and NC refusing to budge from its demand for one.
The next House meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. Speaker Ghimire called the meeting of the four major political parties to ensure smooth operation of the meeting.
Talking to reporters after the meeting NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that the ruling coalition should take responsibility if the House meeting or any parliamentary activities are obstructed. “It all will depend on how the government presents itself,” Lekhak added.
UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula revealed that the ruling coalition told the grand old party that parliamentary probe committee cannot be formed on an issue raised on the basis of political prejudice, and urged NC to reconsider its demand.
Home Minister Lamichhane is scheduled to present the amendment bill on the Political Parties Act in the House meeting on Tuesday and NC seems to be planning to prevent him from doing so.
Some victims had filed a complaint against Lamichhane at the District Police Office, Kaski on February 5 alleging him of misappropriation of money of Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative Limited of Pokhara, Kaski.
Gorkha Media, which had Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane as shareholder and managing director (MD), has been found to have taken loan of Rs 105 million from Supreme Cooperative, Rs 120 million from Sahara Cooperative of Chitwan and Rs 100 million from Suryadarshan Cooperative of Pokhara.
Clause 50 of the Cooperatives Act 2017 stipulates that a cooperative can accept deposit only from its members, and lend to only its members. Similarly, the Company Directive 2015 also prohibits a private company from acquiring shares of a cooperative and stipulates that even the shares acquired before the directive came into force be transferred to others within a year. It also prohibits a company from borrowing from a cooperative.
Promoter of Gorkha Media GB (Gitendra) Rai was also chairman of Supreme Cooperative. He made Om Prakash Gurung chairman only two years back and remained patron. GB Rai had also opened Suryodaya Cooperative.
The cooperatives have yet to return billions saved by thousands of depositors.
NC has been demanding a parliamentary committee to investigate the scam including involvement of Lamichhane pointing that the government cannot conduct fair and impartial investigation in the case involving Home Minister Lamichhane. But speaking in the House PM Dahal has already given Lamichhane a clean chit.
