Cleaning Up the Passport Mess

The arrest of 16 individuals, including Department of Passports Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal, has turned the passport printing controversy into one of Nepal's most significant corruption investigations in recent years. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is probing alleged irregularities worth more than Rs 1 billion in a passport printing contract. Investigators are examining whether technical requirements were manipulated, whether bidders met the specifications outlined in the tender documents, and whether undue influence affected the procurement process. The case has also drawn political attention, with former foreign minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba set to be summoned separately for questioning.