Preliminary conclusion of finding no irregularities in Jalahari dispute

KATHMANDU, June 26: The team assigned to check and measure the gold Jalahari kept in the Pashupatinath temple has reached a preliminary conclusion that no irregularity has been found. 

When the Jalahari was measured on Sunday, 106.4325 kg of Jalhari was measured, while 1.0375 kg was found when measuring the screws made for tightening the Jalahari. According to a senior official of the Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority, it will take two more days to determine how much gold, copper and brass have been used in the Jalahari and the screws that were measured. According to the official, there is no irregularity in the gold in large quantities as rumored.

On January 12, 2077, the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with his wife Radhika Shakya and his aides, reached the Pashupatinath temple and performed the 'Sankalpa Puja' and announced that the Jalahari would be installed at a cost of around 1 billion rupees. According to the announcement, he said that the government would give 300 million rupees. Soon after, the Pashupati Area Development Fund decided to add Rs 500 million to the amount given by the government and install the Jalahari of 108 kg of gold.

According to the Fund, during the construction of Jalhari, 24-Karat gold was said to be melted down to make 22-Karat gold, and 3 percent copper and 1 percent silver were said to be added to it.

Representatives of the Department of Mines and Geology, the Department of Quality and Metrology, and the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association are involved in the Commission's team for measuring the Jalahari.