The government has formed a commission to investigate the assets of politicians and officials who have held top political and administrative positions over the past two decades.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to constitute a five-member commission under the chairmanship of former justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari.

While opposition parties said they had long demanded such a probe, they stressed that the commission must focus on evidence and not be used for political propaganda.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Education, Science and Technology, and Youth and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, said the Cabinet had approved the formation of the commission.

“A decision has been made to form the property investigation commission to collect, verify, and investigate the asset details of major political officials and high-ranking employees who held public office from 2006 to the present. The commission is chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and includes former justice Purushottam Parajuli, former justice Chandiraj Dhakal, former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ganesh KC, and Chartered Accountant Prakash Lamsal,” Pokharel said.

The first Cabinet meeting of Prime Minister Balendra Shah on March 27 had decided to establish a high-level asset investigation committee.

“To end widespread corruption, the tendency to hide assets, and impunity in the country, an authorised asset investigation committee shall be formed within 15 days under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The committee will include experts from the fields of law, finance, revenue, and investigation, as well as representatives from relevant agencies. For this purpose, necessary legal and technical mechanisms will be developed to ensure the entire process is transparent and results-oriented,” the decision said.

It said the committee would be granted authority to collect, analyse and recommend necessary documents, details and records.

The March 27 decision of the government stated that in the first phase, the asset details of major political officials and high-ranking employees who held public office from 2006 to the present would be collected, verified and investigated. In the second phase, a separate committee would be formed to examine the assets of similar officials from 1991 to 2005.

Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in parliament, said that while forming such a commission was appropriate, it would be better implemented through permanent legislation and should not be politicised.

Devraj Chalise, Congress spokesperson, said the party’s position was that the assets of all individuals who have held executive office and high-ranking administrative posts since 1990 should be investigated.

“We are clear that the assets of those who held executive office since 1990 must be probed. Rather than just forming such a commission, legal provisions should be established. Investigation should be fair and evidence-based.”

He said that, irrespective of the time and position they held, those involved in irregularities and misappropriation should be prosecuted under the law. The Congress spokesperson added that the government could be seeking a political tool to punish opponents under the guise of tackling corruption.

Lawmaker and CPN-UML secretary Padma Aryal said the commission must function on the basis of facts and truth. “Forming a commission is also about delivering justice. It should not be about covering up wrongdoing,” Aryal said. She added that her party had also been demanding a similar probe.

Separately, the Cabinet formed another committee under former High Court judge Prem Raj Karki to implement parts of the report of the commission that investigated the incidents of September 8-9, 2025, particularly those related to security agencies.

The committee will study and recommend actions concerning the security mechanism based on the report led by Gauri Bahadur Karki.

Other members of the committee include former Additional Inspector General of the Armed Police Force Subodh Adhikari and former Additional Inspector General of the Nepal Police Tek Prasad Rai.