National
Education Ministry tops dubious record
The country’s anti-graft body registered the highest number of complaints (3,570) against the Education Ministry in the last fiscal year, 2017-18, official data shows.The country’s anti-graft body registered the highest number of complaints (3,570) against the Education Ministry in the last fiscal year, 2017-18, official data shows.
This represents 18.32 percent of the total complaints (19,488) the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) received last fiscal.
Complaints against the Federal Affairs Ministry (3,511) came second and Land Reforms Ministry came third with 1,262.
The dubious record of the three ministries is a repeat of the rankings registered in the previous fiscal year 2016-17.
CIAA Spokesperson Rameshore Dangal said, “We do not know the exact reasons why complaints on irregularities in the ministries of education, federal affairs and lands reforms remain the highest. It could probably be because offices of these ministries have penetrated across the country and they are easily accessible to people.”
The CIAA receives complaints on schoolteachers’ fake certificates, irregularities in toilet construction in schools, he said.
Forest and Soil Preservation Ministry ranks fourth in the dubious list followed by Health, Home Affairs, Physical Infrastructure and Finance ministries.
The anti-graft body cleared 12,400 out of the total number of complaints. Most of the complaints lacked credibility; therefore, the CIAA reduced further investigation by half to 6,458 complaints, and stopped further action against 262 complaints. It gave some suggestions to the concerned government offices.
According to the CIAA, it sent 546 complaints for detailed investigations during the last fiscal year.
The anti-graft body said it conducted 97 raids in the last fiscal year and arrested 154 people. Of the arrested three are first class officers (joint secretary) while seven are under-secretaries, one Deputy Superintendent of Police, 22 section officers, 13 engineers and 108 non-gazetted government staff.
Complaints table
Ministries Complaints
Education 3,570
Federal Affairs 3,511
Land Reforms 1,262
Forest 874
Health 851
Home Affairs 804
Physical Infra 550
Finance 504
Others 7,562
Total 19,488
*Complaints recorded by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority in fiscal year 2017-18.