Minister Ojha in CIAA soup

Minister Ojha in CIAA soup

KANTIPUR REPORT:

KATHMANDU, APR 22 - Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Sarba Dev Ojha and other officials at the ministry are under scrutiny of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on charge of misusing money collected for Child Rights Fund.

The CIAA has taken the original documents relating to the newly-established fund and blocked its bank account (001010102) at Nepal Investment Bank Limited (NIBL). The account has Rs 11,343,960.

"Procedures followed while establishing the Child Rights Fund and opening the bank account were illegal," said a CIAA source.

However, Under-Secretary Sher Jung Karki said the ministry tried to ensure the utilisation of the funds received from the national and international donors.

Revising the Inter-country Adaptation Policy, the ministry introduced Regulations on Financial Aid Mobilisation and Management in 2009. The ministry had formed a five-member Child Fund Committee headed by the minister and opened the bank account.

The aid that the ministry receives from donors for adopting Nepali children is being deposited in a bank account, which is operated through Minister Ojha’s signature.

"Although the regulation came into effect now, processes on it were initiated during former minister Pampha Bhusal’s tenure," said Karki. "We simply intended to integrate the funds received for child rights promotion."

The regulation stipulates that international donor community willing to adopt Nepali children deal with the ministry directly. Earlier, foster homes could approach the donors and spend the money on their own.

"Although 62 memoranda of understanding (MoU) were signed for inter-country adoption in the past year, the ministry has no details of what is spent on child rights protection as a donor pays $10,000 before signing an MoU," said Karki.

.