KATHMANDU, May 22: The federal government has finally released the property details of the prime minister and ministers following a decision made during last week’s cabinet meeting. According to the details released on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Raghubir Mahaseth is the richest among the Council of Ministers while Foreign Affairs Minister Narayankaji Shrestha is the poorest.
Other ministers considered wealthy after Raghubir Mahaseth include Minister for Education Sumana Shrestha, Minister for Forests and Environment Nawal Kishor Sah, Minister for Urban Development Dhan Bahadur Budha, and Minister for Labor Dol Prasad Aryal. The details reveal they own significant land in various locations, including Kathmandu, multiple houses, about 100 tolas of gold, and bank balance worth millions of rupees.
Forests Minister Sah has also declared ownership of a 12-bore rifle. He reported owning nine houses and land in 15 different locations. Additionally, he holds shares worth Rs 13.5 million, about 180 tolas of gold, and about 1,500 tolas of silver.
Education, Science, and Technology Minister Sumana Shrestha has disclosed ownership of a diamond necklace, 11 tolas of gold, and 10 tolas of silver. Additionally, she has reported holding more than Rs 10 million in foreign banks.
In her property statement, she revealed ownership of US dollars worth Rs 15 million and Euro worth Rs 23.4 million jointly with a foreigner. However, she did not disclose her relationship with the foreign national named Paul Sowinski in the property declaration form.
In the property details, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha's assets are comparatively less than those of other ministers. He declared ownership of 38 ropanis of land in Siranchowk, Gorkha, along with a bank balance of Rs 122,000.
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PM Dahal reports a bank balance of Rs 2.5 million
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reported a bank balance of Rs 2.5 million. He also owns a house built on a 15 kattha land plot in Chitwan and land holdings including 14 plots in Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality-14 and one plot in Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality-12, all identified as ancestral property.
Additionally, land registered in the name of his wife Sita Dahal is said to have been obtained from inheritance. Dahal declared ownership of five tolas of gold and a bank balance of Rs 2.5 million in Everest Bank Limited.
Earlier, during his second term as Prime Minister, Dahal had disclosed ownership of only one plot of land and three tolas of gold in the property statement made public in 2073 BS. However, in his third term, an increase in assets has been disclosed in the details made public.
How much property does Minister Mahaseth have?
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Raghubir Mahaseth has disclosed a cash amount of Rs 22.5 million and shares worth Rs 3.55 million. Additionally, he owns a house on 2 ropanis and 13 annas of land in Lalitpur and another in Janakpur covering 4,200 square meters.
His property portfolio includes extensive land holdings in Sindhuli, Dhanusha, and Lalitpur, with seven bighas and three kathas in Dhanusha alone. Mahaseth also possesses 43 tolas of gold, various ornaments, and 150 tolas of silver.
Similarly, Urban Development Minister Dhan Bahadur Budha has revealed ownership of seven houses, with four located in Dolpa and three in Kathmandu. His assets include 150 tolas of gold, 300 tolas of silver, and a bank balance of Rs 6 million. Additionally, he holds 44 annas of land in Kathmandu.
How much land does Home Minister Lamichhane own?
Home Minister Lamichhane has declared ownership of five anas in Budhanilkantha Municipality-8, one ana in Bhaktapur, and 10 ana under his wife Nikita Paudel's name in Kathmandu. Additionally, he disclosed possession of 80 tolas of gold.
FinMin Pun reports bank balance of Rs 3.3 million
Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun has reported a bank balance of Rs 3.3 million in NMB Bank. Additionally, he disclosed ownership of ancestral land measuring 820 square meters in Madichaur, Rolpa.
Similarly, Labor, Employment, and Social Security Minister DP Aryal declared ownership of 150 tolas of gold, 100 tolas of silver, and 10 tolas of diamonds. He also disclosed land holdings in 12 different locations. Aryal and his wife Ambika KC reported holding more than Rs 20 million in cash across banks and cooperatives.
Similarly, it has been reported that Minister for Youth and Sports, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has invested about Rs 100 million in the stock market, owning 15,906 units of shares.
On Tuesday, property details of 21 ministers, including the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, were released. However, the property details of Health Minister Pradeep Yadav and Minister of State for Health Hasina Khan have not been disclosed as they have not yet completed 60 days in office.
Section 31 of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 2048 BS mandates that both the Prime Minister and ministers must submit their property statements to the specified body within 60 days of assuming office and then again within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year.
In 2074 BS, during the tenure of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the property details of the Prime Minister and ministers were disclosed publicly. However, some ministers appointed during Oli's tenure failed to disclose their property details. Subsequent governments did not make the property details public.
