Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expanded his Cabinet for the fifth time on Monday, making it the largest in Nepal’s history, but neither the prime minister nor his ministers, who were appointed earlier, have made their property details public.

As per Section 50 of the Corruption Prevention Act 2000, ministers and other high-level government officials must make public their property details within 60 days from the date of assuming office. Hence, Deuba, who became the prime minister on June 7, and his seven ministers from his 54-strong Cabinet, should have submitted their property details by the first week of August.

The “property detail of prime minster and ministers” section of the official website of the Prime Minister’s Office (www.opmcm.gov.np) returns a blank page.

Hari Prasad Panthi, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, though said the PMO has already received property details of some ministers, he refused to speak further.

“We plan to post the property details on the website after all ministers submit their property details,” Panthi said. “The ministers who were appointed earlier have already submitted their property details.”

Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel has publicly said that he has submitted his property details to the PMO but they are yet to be posted on the official website.

This is not the first time the ministers have failed to submit their property details within 60 days as stipulated in the law.

Members of the erstwhile CPN (Maoist Centre)-led Cabinet also had taken time to furnish their property details.

Then prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had made his property details public four months after assuming office.

After ministers failed to submit their property details on time, the Cabinet had to take a separate decision, asking them to do so. The similar trend is being seen now.

The National Vigilance Centre (NVC), an anti-corruption body, also said it is yet to receive property details of ministers. As per the law, the PMO has to provide the property details to the NVC. “We have not received property details of ministers under the Deuba-led Cabinet. We hope to get the details soon,” said NVC Spokesperson Bishnuraj Lamichhane.