Auditor General's Report Highlights Financial Irregularities in Municipalities

Kathmandu. The 63rd annual report published by the Office of the Auditor General has once again raised questions about financial transparency and accountability in metropolitan and sub-metropolitan cities. The report for the fiscal year 2081/082, presented by Auditor General Toyam Raya to President Ram Chandra Paudel last week, indicates weak financial discipline in the country's major cities this year. Citing the destruction of documents during the Jenji movement on Bhadra 23 and 24, two metropolitan cities and 31 local levels did not undergo audits. According to the report, Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan and Birgunj Metropolitan City in Parsa have not conducted audits, claiming documents were destroyed due to the movement. For the same reason, the audits for the fiscal year 2081/082 of 31 local levels, including Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City in Sunsari and Kailari Rural Municipality in Kailali, have been halted. Not only this, the report also mentions that 21 municipalities have not conducted audits since previous years.

Highest Irregularities in Kathmandu, Lalitpur Excels

Analyzing the details of irregularities in metropolitan cities, Kathmandu Metropolitan City shows the highest amount of irregularities. Kathmandu Metropolitan City audited a total of 28 billion 29 crore 13 lakh rupees, with 61 crore 97 lakh rupees in irregularities, which amounts to 2.19 percent of the total audited amount. Pokhara Metropolitan City in Gandaki Province, while auditing 15 billion 21 crore 23 lakh rupees, showed 21 crore 8 lakh rupees, or 1.39 percent, in irregularities. In Biratnagar Metropolitan City of Koshi Province, an audit of 4 billion 63 crore 35 lakh revealed 8 crore 2 lakh rupees, or 1.73 percent, in irregularities. Among the metropolitan cities, Lalitpur Metropolitan City exhibits the best financial discipline, with only 4 crore 68 lakh rupees, a low 0.44 percent, in irregularities out of an audit of 10 billion 67 crore 36 lakh.

Madhesh Sub-Metros Weak

Looking at the condition of sub-metropolitan cities, the percentage of irregularities is high in the municipalities of Madhesh Province. In Kalaiya Sub-Metropolitan City of Bara, an audit of 3 billion 56 crore 32 lakh revealed 13 crore 53 lakh rupees, or 3.8 percent, in irregularities, while in Jitpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City, an audit of 3 billion 89 crore 58 lakh found 13 crore 3 lakh rupees, or 3.35 percent, in irregularities. The condition of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City in Dang is even more peculiar. With only limited records available due to the Jenji movement, an audit revealed 1 crore 17 lakh rupees, or 4.71 percent, in irregularities out of 24 crore 97 lakh. In Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City in Banke, Lumbini Province, an audit of 3 billion 87 crore 95 lakh showed 10 crore 65 lakh rupees, or 2.75 percent, in irregularities. According to data from other sub-metropolitan cities, Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City in Dang, with an audit of 5 billion 22 crore 14 lakh, had 11 crore 23 lakh rupees, or 2.15 percent, in irregularities. Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City in Sudurpashchim Province, with an audit of 4 billion 82 crore 14 lakh, found 9 crore 43 lakh rupees, or 1.96 percent, in irregularities. Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City, the capital of Madhesh Province, with an audit of 3 billion 93 crore 25 lakh, had 5 crore 54 lakh rupees, or 1.41 percent, in irregularities, and Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City of Koshi Province, with an audit of 4 billion 36 crore 34 lakh, showed 5 crore 70 lakh rupees, or 1.31 percent, in irregularities. Among the sub-metropolitan cities with relatively low irregularities are Hetauda in Bagmati Province and Butwal in Lumbini Province. Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City had 6 crore 49 lakh rupees, or 1.17 percent, in irregularities from an audit of 5 billion 57 crore 4 lakh, and Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City had 5 crore 65 lakh rupees, or 1.13 percent, in irregularities from an audit of 5 billion 5 lakh, according to the report.