Gandaki province chief minister and six out of seven ministers make public their property details

The ministers disclosed their assets after two years against the requirement to do so within 60 days of taking office

Pratiksha Kafle

Published at : March 19, 2020

Updated at : March 19, 2020 08:05

Kaski

Two years since the formation of the government, Gandaki Province chief minister and six other ministers made public their property details for the first time on Wednesday. Ramsharan Basnet, spokesperson and minister of physical infrastructure, released the property details of all the provincial ministers, except that of Naradevi Pun Magar, the minister of social development who has yet to submit her property details.

According to the document, Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung is the richest in the cabinet with a bank balance of Rs9.7million, 51 tola gold and 90 tola silver. The sources of Gurung’s property are dowry, salary, and gifts, among others. He has a home and land in Khilung, Lamjung. Yet another home in Khilung is under his unmarried sister Aashkumari’s name, along with about 30 ropanis of land. Gurung also has a 10 ropani 3 anna land in his name in Khilung. Gurung has properties worth Rs1.65million in his name, whereas Rs7million in the name of his son, Bigyan, who is a pilot. Gurung also owns 15,000 units of shares in People’s Hydro Company. Meanwhile, his wife, Kumarimuni, who is the deputy chair of Kwaholasothar Rural Municipality and a former teacher, has a bank balance of Rs1million. The source of the property is salary, according to the document. Among other properties of the chief minister is a scooter in his daughter’s name, a mountain bike costing Rs500,000 in his son’s name and nine sheep and seven goats.

Likewise, Kiran Gurung, minister of economic affairs and planning, has to his name 11 ropanis and 5 annas of land in Bhanumati, Tanahun, and about 60 ropanis of land in various places. According to the document, the lands are shared among the minister’s five siblings. Moreover, the minister has 225sqkm of land in Pokhara, a six anna land in Parbat, and five anna land in Lalitpur. The minister owns 18 tolas of gold, properties worth Rs275,000 in Royal Didibahini Kitchen, and shares costing Rs715,000—100,000 units of shares in Gandaki Property Pvt Ltd, and 1,000 units of shares in Royal Cooperative. The minister also owns a Scorpio van.

Minister of Internal Affairs and Law Haribahadur Chuman has a house and two ropanis one anna of inherited land in the name of his wife, Dhankumari, in Abu Khaireni, according to the document. Likewise, he has about 10 ropanis of land in several places. He owns 10 tolas of gold, Rs175,000 in bank balance, and 32 units of shares in Agriculture Development Bank.

Spokesperson and Minister of Physical Infrastructure Ramsharan Basnet has 50 ropanis of land in Gorkha Municipality, 14 tolas of gold and 10 tolas of silver, Rs462,802 cash, 223 units of shares in Agriculture Development Bank, one passenger bus, one agriculture farm and one stationery shop to his name.

Bikash Lamsal, minister of industry, tourism, forest and environment, has over five ropanis five annas of land and a house in Parbat, ten tolas of gold and 50 tolas of silver, and a bank balance of Rs1.55million. Moreover, he has 300 shares in Agriculture Development Bank, a motorcycle costing Rs300,000, and a scooter costing Rs210,000. He has an outstanding loan of Rs1.5million.

Lekh Bahadur Thapa, minister of land management, agriculture and cooperative, has 43 ropanis of land in Gorkha and 35 tolas of gold to his family’s name. He has Rs407,000 in bank balance, 100 units of shares in a cooperative, two oxen and seven goats.

Even though a person holding public office should release their property details within sixty days of office according to existing laws, the provincial government released the details only after over two years.