The parliamentary special committee formed to investigate misuse of funds at various cooperatives has decided to seek documents of nine cooperatives.
Surya Thapa, who is the committee’s chairman, said that the committee’s meeting held on Wednesday decided to seek documents of nine cooperatives listed on Schedule 2 of its working procedure from the bodies concerned.
The committee has decided to seek documents of Ideal Yamuna Multipurpose Cooperative, Image Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sahara Savings and Credit Cooperative, Samanata Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sano Paila Savings and Credit Cooperative, Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperative, Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sumeru Savings and Credit Cooperative, and Swarna Laxmi Savings and Credit Cooperative.
Funds from the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan and some other cooperatives were allegedly transferred to Gorkha Media Network, which operated Galaxy Television. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane was the managing director of Galaxy TV.
The committee was formed after the main opposition Nepali Congress demanded a parliamentary committee to investigate cooperative fraud saying Lamichhane was also linked to it.
According to committee chairman Thapa, the committee has also sought the latest general meeting reports, audit reports, board details, account supervision committee reports and other documents of the nine cooperatives.
Thapa said that the committee has already received the reports of eight different commissions and committees formed earlier to look into cooperatives-related issues. The reports have been provided to the committee members, he added.
According to Thapa, the committee has also decided to hold meetings and discussions with some other bodies.
Thapa said that the committee has been given three months to complete its work.
He said that the committee was not formed to shield or frame anybody, adding that evidence will be made available if there is any.
The committee held a discussion with Deepak Prakash Baskota, the then chairman of National Cooperative Development Board, and Keshav Prasad Badal, former chairman of National Cooperative Federation of Nepal, during Wednesday’s meeting.
Baskota and Badal offered suggestions for resolving the problems seen in the cooperative sector. They said that there are around 30,000 cooperatives in operation, of which about 500 are crisis-ridden.
