26 Chait, Kathmandu. The Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RASWPA)-led government, which has promised to restore stability in the operation of the state machinery, also has the responsibility to save the dignity of the Nepal Red Cross Society, which has been ruined by political interference.

The Red Cross Society established for charitable work in Nepal has recently become infamous due to irregularities within the organization.

Diss. Nepal Red Cross Society, operating from July 25, 2021, is the first organization to be registered with the Social Welfare Council as per the Organization Registration Act. The main reason why the institution established with the aim of serving humanity with selfless spirit is getting distorted is the infiltration of party politics into the Red Cross.

Irregularity in the organization and excessive partisanship has led to a decrease in trust towards the Red Cross Society. The Red Cross Society, which once conducted 100 projects, is now struggling to pay its employees.

After the earthquake of 2072, the trust of the Red Cross in the country and the donor agencies is decreasing towards the organization that received funds from the foreign Red Cross of 12 billion.

The organization has reached a situation where it is unable to bring funds by showing the project. From the center to the lower level structures, party workers have become recruiting grounds. Since 2077, the organization has been running under ad hoc leadership. Due to the fact that those involved in financial manipulation cannot be prosecuted, the discrepancy is increasing.

Extreme form of partisanship

Sanjeev Thapa, who became the chairman of the organization in 2064, was unable to hold the general meeting on time and when he himself was accused of financial embezzlement, extreme party politicization started in the organization.

He was sacked by the government led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli citing irregularities in the organization and not being able to bring in a new leadership elected on time. From 2064 to 2077, he held the position of chairman.

Although dozens of problems have been pointed out in land purchase, building construction, audit, etc., even though action has been recommended, no action has been taken against any official.

The CPN government formed after the unification of the UML and CPN Maoist Center started the formation of ad hoc committees by formally dividing the political parties in the organization.

Former Acting President of Nepal Red Cross Dr. Vishal Bhandari says that the dignity of the organization has eroded when the major parties created a place to manage their workers. He says, ‘Recruiting workers is against the principles of the Red Cross. There have been actions to collect resources in the Red Cross and to make the leaders of the party happy with the same resources.

From 2077 till now, ad hoc working committee has been formed 4 times and the deadline has been extended 3 times on the basis of political participation. However, all the ad hoc committees could not fulfill the mandate of bringing the elected working committee.

Even within the then CPN, both parties were divided in such a way as to keep them under the central leadership. On the other hand, Nepali Congress, the main opposition party at that time, also took a stake in Bhagwanda.

Dr. on behalf of CPN-UML in the 33-member committee. Netraprasad Timsina became the president. Pitambar Aryal, who is close to the Congress, became the Chief Minister.

CPN was divided while Oli was the Prime Minister. The Maoist center collapsed and the Unified Socialist Party was formed.

The government was formed under the leadership of the Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba with the support of the then Maoist Center and the Unified Socialists. The Deuba-led government also showed the tendency of the Oli government in the Red Cross.

The Red Cross under the leadership of Netra Timsina disbanded the ad hoc committee showing that they could not bring the elected committee as per the mandate. The then ruling party under the leadership of professor Surdashan Prasad Nepal, a person close to the Congress, split under the central leadership of the Red Cross.

In the 28-member ad-hoc committee, the power to take a stake in Bhagwanda has now been added to the integrated socialists. Bhupati Lal Shrestha, close to the Unified Socialists, was nominated as the General Minister.

Timsina went to court against it. Even though he returned under the guise of the court, he could not bring the elected working committee. For the second time, after dismissing the working committee led by Timsina, the government formed an ad hoc committee led by the same Professor Nepal. In the 33-member committee formed on 31st Jeshta 2079, Congress, UML and United Socialists divided their shares.

For the fourth time, on July 9, 2082, another ad hoc committee was formed. According to those who know about the Red Cross Society, the existing committee formed under the leadership of Vinod Kumar Sharma was also brought on the basis of party division.

Sharma is a member of the Congress and the General Minister Meen Bahadur Malla of the UML has been informed by the employees of the organization.

Even this committee under the leadership of Sharma has not been able to fulfill its responsibilities according to the mandate.

The tenure of the Sharma-led committee, which received the mandate to draft a statute and bring in new leadership within three months, has been extended until the end of June. However, a date has not been set for bringing in an elected committee led by the Central Committee.

A committee headed by Sharma has made the law. According to General Minister Meen Bahadur Malla, preparations are being made to hold the central session by the middle of June. According to a former official who knows about the organization, although the current committee has approved the law by District Administration Office Kathmandu, the headquarters of Red Cross IFRC has not given legitimacy. He says, ‘The legislation has been approved by the district administration office. However, IFRC has raised questions about the arrangement of the structure committee. It is interested in the structure of sub-branches that will be formed outside of the federal structure.’

Investigation reports are submitted, not implemented

From February 2073 to Baisakh 2081, 16 reports have been submitted after studying the situation within the Red Cross. 16 reports have been submitted by the IFRC, including the Social Welfare Council, Kathmandu District Administration Office, the Parliamentary Committee, to study the irregularities and corruption within the organization.

Three working groups were formed from the Social Welfare Council only from time to time. Samaj Kalyan Parishad formed a working group to submit a report after examining the coordination of Lakshmi Koirala, Nisha Banian and Sanjay Kumar Shah.

Also, during the leadership of CPN, the government, the task force led by UML leader Meen Bahadur Shahi also studied and submitted a report about the irregularities within the Red Cross.

Under the Parliamentary Committee, the State Order Committee, the Women and Social Affairs Committee of the Parliament also studied the irregularities within the Red Cross.

Although dozens of problems have been pointed out in land purchase, building construction, audit, etc., even though action has been recommended, no action has been taken against any official.

District Administration Office Kathmandu has submitted the report of the audit committee under the coordination of Chartered Accountant Krishna Acharya, the report of the committee formed by the governing board of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the committee formed under the coordination of Lalitjung Shahi, the committee formed under the coordination of Hom Prasad Pathak on irregularities in the purchase of land in Bhaktapur, the study committee led by Kamal from IFRC from the headquarters of Red Cross has submitted the report of the situation.

A separate report has also been submitted to submit a report after studying the corruption in the construction of the blood circulation building.

So far, the study committee and the district administration office of Kathmandu have concluded that there are extreme irregularities in all the instructions given by the organization.

All the study reports showed that the Red Cross Society did not follow the rules and regulations of the government, acted against the Social Welfare Act, officials embezzled large sums of money under various headings, failed to renew the organization, officials took facilities arbitrarily and recommended for action.

Although dozens of problems have been pointed out in land purchase, building construction, audit, etc., even though action has been recommended to the extent, no action has been taken against any official.

Former chairman Sanjeev Thapa has been recommended by the past report which was riddled with irregularities in land purchase, building construction, etc., while questions have been raised that the ad hoc committee was not able to work according to the mandate and arbitrary decisions were taken.

According to those who know about the Red Cross Society, the intention is to manipulate the funds from the donor agencies in order to awaken the greed that has been staying in the organization for decades.

How can it be improved?

According to supporters of the organization, the Red Cross Society, which has become weak due to the direct involvement of political parties, should be freed from party interference, and should be transformed along with the transfer of generations.

According to the experts, irregularity has increased due to partyization in the organization from the center to the subordinate structures.

On the other hand, even without the implementation of the report of the investigation committee made at various times in the past, the situation has become that Bethiti will get more support.

Former Acting Chairman Dr. Bhandari says, ‘Red Cross’s corruption investigation report should be implemented immediately and action should be taken against the culprits. The message that corruption reports are made in Nepal but no action is taken has gone to the international level. This situation must end.’

There is also an understanding that factionalism cannot be ended when a new committee comes under the authority of the constitution made by the current committee.

It is understood by stakeholders that there is no provision for the Social Welfare Council Act 2049 to take action against organizations registered according to the Association Registration Act for irregularities in the Red Cross and corruption and corruption have increased.

Bhandari claims that the former Acting Chairman formed in the shadow of the last revised legislative parties. ‘Party self-interest has become a favorable law. According to the current legislation, it is not possible to form a non-party Red Cross,’ Bhandari told Online Khabar, ‘Currently, Red Cross structures are being formed on the basis of parties in districts and municipalities. This law should be amended immediately. The current party ad hoc committee should be dissolved.’

It is understood by stakeholders that there is no provision for the Social Welfare Council Act 2049 to take action against organizations registered according to the Association Registration Act for irregularities in the Red Cross and corruption and corruption have increased.

Experts say that the CIB and the Commission on Abuse of Authority have not been able to work according to official conduct due to the same act. According to international standards, institutional autonomy and responsibility should be ensured by issuing a separate Red Cross Act. Bhandari says.

The officials of the current ad-hoc committee claim that the statute was made to keep the organization away from party politics. The current General Minister Meen Bahadur Malla says that a statute has been made so that one can remain in the structural committee only after giving up the membership of the political party and cannot hold office for more than two terms. Stating that a person who is a member of the party cannot participate in the election process, Malla told Online News, ‘If someone accuses that a person is involved in the party, then he has to submit proof of non-involvement in the party.’ Malla says that the structure of the district level has been arranged in the constitution so that it has a managerial and coordinating role. He says, ’33 percent women have been ensured in the structure of the organization. The participation of the youth has been ensured.