Kathmandu, Oct. 16
Prime Minister Sushila Karki has taken
initiative to address the grievances of victims of the cooperative scam.
She held a discussion with the Cooperatives
Ministry and other stakeholders at the Prime Minister’s Office at Singha Durbar
on Thursday to address the problems faced by victims of cooperative fraud.
Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives
and Poverty Alleviation Anil Sinha, Secretary of the Ministry Kedarnath Sharma,
Secretary of the PMO Rajkumar Shrestha, Chairperson of the Problematic
Cooperatives Management Committee Shriman Kumar Gautam, officials from the
Cooperative Regulatory Authority, and representatives of the National
Federation for the Protection of Cooperative Depositors participated in the
meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, PM Karki said that
those involved in cooperative fraud should not be let off under any
circumstances.
"We must not let those who swindle and
live lavishly off others’ savings go scut free. They walk around wearing gold
watches, drive expensive cars, and claiming to have divorced to avoid
accountability. We cannot allow them to go unpunished. If the law is
inadequate, then let’s amend it," the Prime Minister stated.
"Do whatever needs to be done, but
let’s not spare the fraudsters. Let us end the situation where the victims are
left weeping in the streets," she directed the concerned authorities.
According to PM Karki, this must be done
immediately since it is the government’s responsibility.
“The primary duties of this government are
to successfully conduct the elections, take action against corruption, and
resolve the cooperative crisis. That is why we are here," she added.
The Prime Minister also emphasised that
even if it means auctioning off the properties of those involved in fraud, the
savings of the victims must be returned.
"If not us, who? This government will
do it. It is unacceptable for victims to be crying in the streets while the
fraudsters roam comfortably, well-dressed and unbothered. This is not the mark
of a civilised society," she remarked. "If we must auction their
property, so be it. If they’ve fled abroad, we must track them down and proceed
accordingly."
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