Karnali Province Ministers Disclose Assets, Two Ministers Appear Richest

Surkhet. Ministers of Karnali Province have made their property details public. Although the Chief Minister Mangal Bahadur Shahi's property was already public, the ministers' had not been made public. The property details of all six ministers were made public on Wednesday through the website of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers' office. Among them, Economic Affairs and Planning Minister Tekraj Pachhai and Social Development Minister Jitbahadur Malla appear to be the richest. Social Development Minister Jitbahadur Malla has crores of physical assets and land. Malla, a resident of Chhayanath Rara Municipality-1, Mugu, has 4 houses worth lakhs of rupees. He stated that he purchased a house on 374.25 square meters of land in Kohalpur Municipality-7, Banke, for 30 lakh rupees earned from his profession and business. Similarly, his wife Radhika Malla, who also earned through profession and business, has another house worth 50 lakh rupees in Chhayanath Rara-2, Mugu. Radhika also owns two other houses in Chhayanath Rara-1, with purchase prices of 5 lakh and 15 lakh rupees respectively, the source of which is mentioned as 'employment'. Likewise, Radhika has land worth lakhs of rupees in 10 places across various wards of Chhayanath Rara. The purchase price of this land is approximately 97 lakh rupees. Among the sources for land purchase, it is mentioned that 4 plots of land were acquired through loans and the rest through employment and business. Minister Malla stated that he has acquired 4 tolas of gold and 5 tolas of silver through employment and business. The value of this gold and silver, purchased in 2072 BS, is stated as 3 lakh 80 thousand rupees. He has a bank balance of 3 lakh rupees, while his wife Radhika has loans of 63 lakh rupees in various banks and financial institutions. In terms of electrical equipment, he has a mobile phone worth 1 lakh 90 thousand, a laptop worth 1 lakh, and a tablet worth 1 lakh 80 thousand, and the source of these items is stated as 'gift from someone working abroad'. Finance Minister Has No Debt, Assets in Crores Economic Affairs and Planning Minister Tekraj Pachhai, a resident of Kanakasundari-6, Jumla, has two ancestral houses in his father's name in the village, measuring 60 and 129 square meters. He also has ancestral land in 28 places in the village in his father's name. Similarly, the details mention land in 3 places in Rajapur Municipality-2, Bardiya. He possesses 20 tolas of gold and 50 tolas of silver, the source of which is not disclosed. He has mentioned a bank balance of 8 lakh rupees in his name across various banks and 4 lakh 15 thousand rupees in his wife's name. Minister Pachhai has a large investment in the stock market. He has shares worth 72 lakh 35 thousand 600 rupees in Sampada Laghubitta. He has shares worth 2 lakh 50 thousand in Kamsam Savings and Credit Cooperative and 9 thousand shares in various microfinance institutions like Nabil, Kalika, etc. The value is subject to market fluctuations. His wife, Tila Acharya, has shares worth 2 lakh in Expert Hydropower and 16 thousand shares in dozens of other places including Aarambha Chautari, Suryajyoti Life, Life Insurance Corporation, Trishuli Hydropower Company, etc. Pachhai has disclosed 'share trading' as the source for some shares and 'purchased from salary' for others. He has no debt. In terms of vehicles, he has a Bajaj motorcycle worth 2 lakh 40 thousand and a scooter worth 2 lakh 85 thousand (in his wife's name), the source of which is stated as personal income and bank employment. In agriculture and animal husbandry, he has 200 apple trees, 15 walnut trees, and one cow in Jumla. He has deposited 3 lakh 92 thousand 664 rupees in his name and 5 lakh 21 thousand rupees in his wife's name in the Citizen Investment Fund. In terms of electrical equipment, he has mentioned 2 Apple mobile phones and 1 laptop, but the price and source of these items have not been disclosed. Minister of Water Resources and Energy Development Has 8 Lakh Debt Minister of Water Resources and Energy Development Kal Bahadur Hamal, a resident of Adanchuli-5, Humla, has an ancestral house spread over 0.3235 square meters in his village and land worth 5 lakh rupees in Birendranagar. He has mentioned that this land, purchased through business, has increased in value. He also mentioned that land spread over 96 square meters in Birendranagar is mortgaged for bank purposes for his daughter and son-in-law. He has stated that he has more than 25 plots of ancestral/inherited land in Adanchuli and Tajakot, Humla (pending division). He possesses 2 tolas of gold purchased in 2057 BS for 20 thousand rupees and 40 tolas of ancestral silver. He has a bank balance of 2 lakh 70 thousand rupees in four banks, of which 2 lakh 50 thousand was received from foreign employment and the rest from salary. He has mentioned taking a total loan of 8 lakh rupees from various individuals (Santosh Shahi, Hari Jaisi, Chhiring Lama, Prithi Shahi) for foreign employment and study, which is yet to be repaid. However, it is not specified who was sent for study. In agriculture, he has 15 muri of paddy, 3 muri of kodo, 5 muri of wheat/maize, and 2 muri of beans/foxtail millet produced from his own land, as well as 16 Radipakhis, 15 carpets, 200 copper/brass utensils, and 100 bronze utensils, according to the property details. Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Has 10 Tolas of Gold and 110 Tolas of Silver Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Jumkit Lama (Karki), a resident of Sarkegad-2, Humla, has an ancestral house in her village. She has mentioned that she owns land spread over 17.25 square meters in Simkot-6, district headquarters, worth 25 lakh rupees, and another plot of land in Birendranagar-11 worth 30 lakh rupees. She stated that this land is partly ancestral and partly acquired through business. It is also mentioned that her father-in-law has 50 ropanis of ancestral agricultural land in Sarkegad, Humla. She possesses 10 tolas of gold and 110 tolas of silver, as well as 25 tolas of pearl/mussel/bead necklaces and a cash balance of 2 lakh rupees. This property is mentioned as acquired through ancestral inheritance, dowry, and remuneration. In terms of bank balance, she has 20 thousand rupees in Citizens Bank, 15 lakh rupees in Sangrila Development Bank (received as insurance claim for husband's accidental death), 11 thousand rupees in NMB Bank, and 42 lakh rupees in her son's name in Citizens Bank (received from father Chandasingh Karki's accidental insurance claim). In terms of vehicles, she has also mentioned a motorcycle worth 3 lakh rupees in her son's name. Minister of Tourism Has No House Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Kalayani Khadka, a resident of Chaurjahari-9, Rukum Paschim, does not own a house. She is unmarried, and her parents' house was damaged in the Jajarkot earthquake. She has mentioned owning 4 plots of land received through ancestral division in her village. Similarly, she has a plot of land measuring 120 square meters in Dang worth 3 lakh 60 thousand rupees, which was also acquired through ancestral division. She possesses no gold or silver. She has deposited 5 lakh rupees received from her father in the bank and has mentioned accumulating 4 lakh 46 thousand rupees from salary, allowances, and land sales. Physically Poorest Minister Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Milan Khadka Roka, a resident of Musi Kot-13, Rukum Paschim, appears to be the poorest. Mothi Roka has an ancestral mud house in the village, and she has mentioned owning 11 plots of ancestral land in her name and Mothi Roka's name. She possesses 2 tolas of gold earned while living with her maternal family. Her bank balance is 90 thousand rupees, and she has invested 3 lakh rupees in shares of various companies and institutions, which are family assets. She has mentioned an outstanding loan of 12 lakh rupees taken from relatives, and she has stated that she has one cow and 5 goats at home. Other assets include only a simple mobile set. Milan is a woman leader who struggled during the 10-year people's war.