KATHMANDU: Farmers across the country have been struggling to get chemical fertilizer during planting season since a long time as a state-owned company has been found involved in financial irregularities while importing chemical fertilizers in collusion with the suppliers.
The Agriculture Inputs Company Ltd is the authorized government body to supply fertilizers to the farmers at subsidized rates. But the company itself is involved in irregularities, according to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
According to a case filed against the company officials by the CIAA, the company was found importing sub standard chemical fertilizers. The CIAA investigation showed that the company under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development failed to meet the standard criteria while importing Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer in the last fiscal year (FY 2020/21). The officials are accused of embezzling a huge amount of money by purchasing sub-standard fertilizer.
The company had allegedly asked Nepal Environmental and Scientific Service Pvt Ltd to prepare a report against competitive bids, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported.
According to the CIAA charge-sheet, the imported chemical fertilizer failed to meet the quality and standard set by quality control and metrology departments of the government. The company also made payment of Rs 1.53 billion by preparing a fake report, the CIAA further accused.
The CIAA has filed the case against Managing Director of the Agriculture Inputs Company, Netra Bahadur Bhandari, Manager Bishnu Prasad Pokhrel, Assistant Manager Durga Prasad Pande, Deputy Manager Puskar Dip Budha and has demanded the recovery of Rs 1.53 billion.
Similarly, a case has also been filed against the supplier Binit Joshi of Joshi Biz House Pvt at the Special Court demanding recovery of the embezzled amount.
The CIAA also filed the cases against Managing Director at Nepal Environmental and Scientific Service Pvt Ltd, Salil Devkota, Lab Director Sunil Babu Khatri and others involved in preparing in fake reports.Govt Body Involved in Financial irregularities while Importing Fertilizer: CIAA