Honest Initiative from Public Officials Essential to Control Corruption: Minister Thapa

Pokhara. Bindu Kumar Thapa, Minister for Social Development, Youth and Sports of the Gandaki Province Government, has stated that an honest initiative from public office holders is essential to control corruption.

He made this remark while speaking at an interaction program titled 'Corruption Control and Good Governance Promotion,' organized by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in coordination with Civil Society for Good Governance.

Minister Thapa emphasized that making the provincial government's acts and laws citizen-friendly is the need of the hour, and the provincial government is working towards it. 

"Corruption control is only possible if there is an honest initiative from the individuals who hold public office. Integrity in accountability and transparency is necessary, from the political leadership to the administrative level," he said.

He mentioned that the provincial government has taken the demands of 'Corruption-Free Nepal' and 'Quality Service Delivery' raised by the recent Gen Z movement seriously. 

He added that the provincial government is committed to creating a good governance-friendly government by internalizing the suggestions received from civil society, businesses, and youth.

Dandu Raj Ghimire, Chief Secretary of the Gandaki Province Government, linked corruption to individual character, proposing the concept of "Character reform first, then system reform." He stated that it is wrong to blame everyone by putting them in the same basket and that the provincial government is working to solve the problems within the employee circle. 

Hari Bahadur Chuman, Leader of the Opposition Party in Gandaki Province, said that corruption control will remain challenging until digitization is implemented in all sectors, starting from the administrative structure.

Rudra Devi Sharma, Chief District Officer of Kaski District Administration Office, stated that the administration is always committed to promoting good governance. 

Siroj Bijay Koirala, Chairman of Civil Society for Good Governance Kaski, pointed out that corruption is thriving in policy-making itself and proposed establishing a culture where ministers and the leadership level publicly disclose their assets.

Bhanu Parajuli of SUNAS Kaski presented transparency, accountability, participation, equality, and the rule of law as the main foundations of good governance, adding that citizens are being distressed by cumbersome paper procedures.

Narayan Regmi of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Pokhara mentioned that Nepal ranks 107th in the corruption index, concluding that the steps taken by the government so far have not been sufficient. 

Ram Bahadur Poudel of Civil Society Kaski stated that the misuse of vehicles and activities against standards in the Seti River excavation have increased corruption. 

Sanjay Subedi, Coordinator of Gen Z 2.0 Gandaki, stressed that system change is mandatory to eliminate policy-level corruption and urged the provincial government to act ruthlessly against corruption.

Sundar Gurung, former Chairman of SUNAS, said that the lack of easy and accountable behavior of government employees towards service recipients has posed a challenge to good governance.