The Britain-Nepal Academic Council (BNAC) has expressed its deep concern over media reports that the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had encouraged the Social Welfare Council to probe both the Social Science Baha (SSB)  and the Alliance for Social Dialogue (ASD).

“The CIAA has, of course, every right to investigate whichever governmental body it chooses in its mission to prevent corruption

in Nepal,” the BNAC, a partner organisation of the

SSB, in a statement released on Sunday.

“The BNAC is supported in this by academics from across the world who have experience of doing research in Nepal.”

Pointing out SSB’s highest standards of integrity in the pursuit of intellectual interchange and its activities, the council said that the SSB has played a major role in raising the standards of social science research in Nepal over the past decade through activities such as conferences,

public lectures, and other interactions.

“The mission of the SSB is to enable interaction both within Nepal and between Nepali scholars and scholars from outside,” the BNAC statement said.

“As a research organization, it is normal that the bulk of its expenditure will be on salaries for researchers, as well as on accommodation and travel to facilitate scholarly exchange,” it said.

“Based on our substantial experience of working together with SSB, including detailed budget oversight of specific projects, we can

say unequivocally that we have not experienced any misallocation or irregularities,” the statement said.