COVID-19 budget misappropriated in staff allowance and internal management

There are growing public complaints that the local levels of Okhaldhunga district have embezzled COVID-19 management funds. 

The local levels which had set up separate funds for the prevention and control of global pandemic of coronavirus have spent the public money in internal management and staff allowance rather than in the concrete measures against coronavirus. 

Some 71 staffs of Manebhanjyang rural municipality have received allowance amounting to Rs 1.58 million for their service during COVID-19 time. Manebhanjyang rural municipality which spent over Rs 3.85 million on coronavirus prevention had mobilized Rs 291,850 in canteen construction and Rs 478,876 in the procurement of medical appliances. 

Likewise, Khijidemba rural municipality has spent a budget of Rs 9 million in the early four months period of CoVID-19. It had spent over  Rs 8.94 million in the heading of coronaviorus prevention. Likewise, the rural municipality has channelized Rs 1.13 million to provide risk allowance to 350 employees. 

All the health workers and some employees mobilized in the rural municipality were provided with 50-100 percent allowance for their engagement in risk management. 

As disclosed the rural municipality has also spent Rs 92,892 on the heading of meeting meal and allowances to the attendees of local coordination committee for the control and prevention of COVID-19. 

Despite having people's representatives, employees, health workers and volunteers, the rual municipality is also found to have spent Rs 753,131 in the heading of remuneration to information facilitator. 

Some 18 information facilitators were mobilized for two months in the rural municipality. 
The facilitators were mobilized to identify the status of stranded citizens, collect details of the people with chronic disease in wards and plan the relief distribution, shared chief administrative officer of the rural municipality, Subash Poudel. 

These are only the representative cases of financial embezzlement taking place in the rural municipalities of Okhaldhunga during the time of COVID-19. Other local levels of the district are also found to have been engaged in siphoning off the public money.