SURKHET, Feb 9: Navraj Gurung, a member of the Birendranagar Municipality City Executive, who was convicted of dual citizenship, has been nominated as a member of the Surkhet Valley Town Development Committee. Executive member Gurung was nominated as a member of the town development committee by Mayor Mohan Maya Dhakal (Bhandari) on Tuesday.
Gurung got his first citizenship certificate (number 11875) on 11th January 1989 and second citizenship certificate (number 17122) on 5th August 1992 from the District Administration Office, Surkhet. In his first citizenship, the date of birth is 20th October 1971, and in his second citizenship, the date of birth is 10th Feb 1974.
The administration conducted a six-month long investigation into the complaint filed that Gurung, a member of the executive, had two citizenship certificates, and found Gurung guilty and handed down a fine.
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On behalf of the Nepali Congress, Yam Bahadur BK, a candidate for executive member, filed a complaint on June 16 last year, alleging that Gurung had obtained two different citizenship certificates. In the complaint, it was mentioned that Gurung had applied for the position of executive member on the basis of his second citizenship.
The administration revoked his second citizenship certificate and fined him according to Section 21 (5) of the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063. The person who was convicted by the same citizenship that he was elected as a member of the executive body was nominated as a member of the executive body by the city chief Bhandari to the town development committee.
Advocate Durga Prasad Sapkota said that it is a violation of the law to keep a person who has already been fined by the district administration office as a member of the executive. "It is more illegal to nominate a person who has been found guilty of dual citizenship by the administration as an executive member to the town development committee," he said.
According to the decision of the meeting held on January 30, Gurung was nominated as a member of the Surkhet Valley Town Development Committee. "According to the decision of Birendranagar Municipality Municipal Executive dated 30th January 2023, you have been nominated as a member of Surkhet Valley Town Development Committee, Surkhet," says the letter given to Gurung, "You are requested to carry out your work efficiently according to prevailing laws."
Narahari Tiwari, chief administrative officer of Birendranagar Municipality, claimed that Gurung was nominated to the Town Development Committee because his citizenship dispute was not of a criminal nature. "It seems he will not lose his position or job because of the citizenship dispute. Hence, he was nominated,” he said, “Otherwise, there would be a written notice from the concerned body.”
The administration office has decided to revoke Gurung’s citizenship obtained for the second time and make him pay a fine of 5,000 as it is found that the certificate of citizenship has been obtained by giving false information. Gurung has not paid the fine yet.
