Is the Labor Minister Belbase the only Guilty Person?

Is Former Minister Belbase the Only Guilty Person ?

The Minister for Labor and Employment Mr Kumar Belbase has tendered  his resignation in the wake of news made public of him asking for bribe money for himself and the secretary for getting new manpower companies registered. 

In March this year, I was asked to resign by the PM because, as he told me, he was under tremendous pressure over the issue of  my decision to transfer the DG Purna Chandra  Bhattarai of Foreign Employment Department to the Ministry  of Labour and Transport Management. I declined to resign because  it was under my jurisdiction to transfer the DG to the ministry for 3 months. I had replied to him that  I had transferred the DG  to pursue PM's  agenda of good governance. I had earlier briefed him  that  the DG was resisting reform initiatives and I had found his role in promoting and covering human trafficking. Three days ago, I had handed over some  reports about  DG's  involvement and his lead role in promoting trafficking and corruption in the department to the PM for his knowledge. The news of PM seeking explanation from me regarding the transfer came out in media the other day of my handing over the report about DG to the Prime Minister.PM had not hinted anything about explanation matter earlier to me.In fact , three days ago , in the last cabinet meeting that I had joined, PM had already brought the proposal to transfer the DG to Prime minister's office. So the news in media about PM seeking explanation from me as to why had I transferred the DG to the ministry  was a shock as well as surprise to me. I felt I was betrayed.

Contrary to what  was circulated in the Media at that time that  Prime minister sought  explanation from me about  my decision to transfer the DG to the ministry, Prime minister had never asked for any explanation from me. But in the following two - three days, media was flooded  with a different but vague story  to defame me and to slander me. I had understood, a big conspiracy was being hatched against me. Media did not give any specific evidence or reason of my alleged involvement in corruption , but spread the story  that I was involved with man power companies for wrong. Kantipur and Kathmandu post were  the leading news paper to propagate the story. Later on ,I  was sacked by the PM, I do not know till today, for what reasons. What is strange  in the entire story  is that PM seems to have closed the case after sacking me and by doing that he has attacked my liberty and dignity. I have asked the Prime minister, the President and the Parliament secretariat twice in writing to inform me  about the cause of my removal from the post of the minister.  The Prime minister should have informed the President and the Parliament about my removal and the cause for that, but he has failed to do so. Ironically, the President also took part in the oath taking ceremony of another minister in my place without ensuring the constitutionality of PM's act of removing me and appointing another minister .

I knew that  conspiratorial  and illegal acts were being taken  to let continue and  cover corruption and human trafficking via Foreign Employment Department under the cover of PM's 10 point directions. Now,  I again sense dirty  and conspiratorial politics of PM BRB  behind the new corruption scam involving  Mr Kumar Belbase .  Mr Belbase resigned without presenting himself to the PM in the Prime minister's office . Mr Belbase has not said any thing in public about his resignation. His resignation has been accepted. In Belbase's case corruption might be involved as he has resigned silently, but bad politics and conspiratorial governance  might be part of  the scam.

So far politics is concerned, it could be that like chandra dev joshi of NCP -Samyukta, Kumar Belbase's  and his party might be  preparing to quit the government and join the announced movement of the opposition parties. Such a case would definitely  be another embarrassment to PM Bhattari's government. However, Mr.Belbase has resigned, Belbase might have his weak moments too, in the scam. His resignation speaks louder than any other proof of  wrong  committed by him.

But allegations and resignation  are not enough for settling corruption cases.  There need to be proper investigation of the cases and the entire reality must be brought before the people for justice to all, whether alleged or involved. I know that that the Government led by Baburam Bhattari would not take any further action in this regard too. He would not order a proper investigation into the case because a proper investigation would reveal many other truths and cause more distress and  discomfort  to the Prime minister and his corrupt and conspiratorial officials in the given situation.

The PM, in reality,  is not working to strengthen rule of law and to safeguard  liberty and dignity of citizens as ensured by the constitution. As the constitution demands, all cases of corruption need to be investigated and all people  who are guilty need to  be punished. But PM thinks differently.

Narayan Manandhr writes : "There are more than dozen state agencies established to deal with corruption cases in Nepal. Instead of handing over the case to the state machinery, they decided to have their own internal investigations. This also implies that Maoists still believe in Nepal having two states – purnao satta and naya satta. The problem is they are in power in both states. The actions, including inactions of Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai have made a joke out of zero tolerance policy on corruption." (Nepal: Anti Corruption Antics Telegraph (Thursday, October 25, 2012)

He is working to establish his own rule as the executive PM  undermining the constitution, institutions and the law. He is working to strengthen his own internal mechanisms to terrorize people, to get done what he wants of others, to defame and slander those who do not agree with him or obey him and to keep those in his traps whose weaknesses he  knows. But,  by not handing over the corruption cases to government agencies , he is not merely making joke out of his zero tolerance policy on corruption, as Narayan Manandhar opines. He is carrying  a serious mission  and the mission is, to weaken the trust of  the people towards multi party competitive democracy, political parties  and the constitution. He is making popular anti corruption moves without invoking the justice system . He is using his moves to satisfy the feelings of popular resentment against politicians and political parties in the post CA dissolution phase.

In Belbase's corruption case, as  known  to us so far, the biggest question that should concern all should be  that When PM has stopped registration of new man power companies issuing a 10 point direction , then why  a file proposing for the registration of over fifty (50) man  power companies was brought to the minister's table  by the DG of FED and the secretary of the ministry. Were they not working against the shadowy orders of the Prime minister by doing that ? Or were they laying the same old trap for Mr Belbase which they had tried in my case?

They had brought the same file to me for my approval but I had returned the file saying that it was not the responsibility of the minister. As per the law it is the task of the Foreign Employment  Department and the DG to register the man power companies. The corrupt officials could not get me in their trap. In fact , I had asked for the explanation of DG that why such files are being brought to my table repeatedly for decisions, when the decision required does not fall under the  jurisdiction of my authority. But he could not give a satisfactory reply and then I had decided to transfer him to the ministry for three months. Other issues, such as  lack of transparency and illegality regarding Foreign Employment promotion Board and Foreign Employment Department had also come to my knowledge during my visit to Delhi after I had asked explanation from the DG. 

But the PM chose to protect a corrupt DG  and for that he sacked me. So this time to0, the possibility of the involvement of DG and secretary in the scam can not be ruled out. But there could be  dirty politics of conspiracy to get rid of Belbase before Belbase's  possible resignation from the government. A proper investigation only would reveal the truth. If PM is honest about his zero tolerance policy on corruption, then he should push ahead  proper investigation in  Belbase's case as well as in my case and bring all involved or alleged to the law book.

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Nepali date:  2069.7.9