MPs slam political detentions, urge action on budhigandaki project & cooperative fraud

KATHMANDU: Lawmaker Roshan Karki has criticized the government for detaining Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Senior Vice-Chairperson Ravindra Mishra for 40 days, calling it an act of political vengeance and a gross miscarriage of justice.

Speaking during the special hour of today’s House of Representatives meeting, MP Karki questioned the prolonged detention and linked it with broader concerns of political retaliation. “Keeping Mishra in custody for 40 days and arresting Resham Chaudhary without valid reasons — where is the justice in that?” she said. “We are demanding a judicial investigation, but our calls continue to be ignored.”

In the same session, MP Rajendra Pandey urged the government to allocate a budget in the current fiscal year to commence construction of the Budhigandaki Hydropower Project — a national pride project. “The Detailed Project Report and the Environmental Impact Assessment have already been completed. Compensation worth Rs. 43 billion has been distributed to those affected,” Pandey informed the House. “Most of the groundwork has been completed, and there is no justification for further delay. Had construction begun on time, the project could have been completed at a cost of Rs. 260 billion. Now, by fiscal year 2081/82, the estimated cost has escalated to Rs. 398 billion.”

Meanwhile, MP Ganesh Parajuli drew the government’s attention to ensuring justice for victims of cooperative fraud. He demanded immediate compensation and return of savings to those affected. “How many of the real culprits involved in the cooperative scam have actually been brought to justice? Have the victims received their money back?” he asked.

Parajuli also emphasized the urgency of customs reform ahead of the upcoming budget formulation. “We must boost domestic production of goods and services to replace imports and enhance exports in order to reduce the trade deficit — this is the need of the hour,” he stressed.