Corruption Case Filed Against Madhesh Province Lawmaker in Hospital Construction Scam

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against Dipendra Kumar Thakur, a Member of Provincial Assembly from Madhesh Province, accusing him of involvement in irregularities during the construction of a hospital.

According to the CIAA, Thakur, who was elected from Dhanusha-3 and represents the UML party, along with 15 others, is accused of manipulating the tender process for building a 15-bed hospital in Aurahi Rural Municipality, Dhanusha. The anti-graft body has demanded a recovery of over Rs. 679 million from the accused.

The rural municipality had originally prepared a cost estimate of Rs. 244.3 million for the hospital project. However, instead of awarding the contract to a joint venture (Pratishtha, Dhulikhel, Axis Asian JV) that offered a lower bid of Rs. 123.5 million, the contract was given to Lumbini, D&N JV, which had submitted a much higher bid of Rs. 191.4 million. The CIAA alleges that this selection was intentionally done to benefit certain individuals.

The CIAA has also filed cases against former Aurahi Rural Municipality Chairperson Brahmadev Yadav, Vice-Chairperson Mira Devi Sahani, Chief Administrative Officer Subodh Kumar Thakur, and ward chairpersons Asheshwar Yadav, Amit Kumar Yadav, Ganga Prasad Yadav, Shivnath Sah, Parmeshwar Mandal, and Dilip Kumar Sah.

Additionally, engineers Sonu Sah, Santosh Kumar Mandal, and Binit Kumar Sah, along with staffers Mohan Kumar Mandal and Manoj Kumar Yadav, have also been named in the corruption case.

Dipendra Kumar Thakur was reportedly involved in the process as one of the contractors, despite being a sitting provincial lawmaker, raising serious questions about conflict of interest and abuse of power.