May 5: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has indicated that a committee will be formed to investigate the issue of cooperative fraud amid the demand of main opposition party Nepali Congress for parliamentary inquiry against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane regarding cooperative fraud.

Prime Minister Dahal, who is also the chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), while addressing the party's parliamentary party meeting held on Saturday, indicated that a parliamentary inquiry committee would be formed, a party leader informed New Business Age.

“The problem of cooperatives has become serious,” a leader of the party said quoting the prime minister. According to the Maoist leader, the prime minister said that a concrete step in this regard will be taken through another cabinet meeting.

"Discussions on forming a parliamentary inquiry committee to solve the overall problem will be taken forward," he added.

According to the leader, the prime minister is in a state of mind not to let the budget session be affected by the fact that the Nepali Congress blocked the winter session by demanding a parliamentary inquiry. Amidst the obstruction created by the Nepali Congress, the government decided to end the winter session with effect from the midnight of the April 14.

After ending the winter session, it was decided to bring an ordinance to amend various laws targeting the investment summit held on April 28 and 29. The budget session of the House of Representatives has been called again on May 10.

During this session, the government will present the policies and programs and the budget for the next fiscal year (FY) 2081/82. However, the Nepali Congress has been repeating its stance that it will not allow the Parliament to run without an investigation into Lamichhane, suspected to be involved in cooperative fraud. In particular, a study report of Pokhara Metropolitan City showed that Ravi Lamichhane, who is not a member of Suryadarshan Cooperative, took Rs 10 million from the cooperative.

A person who is not a member of the cooperative is not eligible to take a loan. However, documents show that Lamichhane took the loan but did not repay it.

Lamichhane claimed that a fake account was opened in his name and maintained his stance that he did not take the loan.

GB Rai was the president of Suryadarshan Cooperative when Lamichhane allegedly took the loan. Rai had partnered with Lamichhane to open Galaxy 4K Television, operated by Gorkha Network Pvt Ltd. Now the television has been shut down. It is mentioned in the report that Lamichhane took the loan of Rs 300 million from Pokhara's Suryadarshan Cooperative for this media.

Pokhara Metropolitan City formed a study committee last year after receiving many complaints about Suryadarshan Cooperative.

According to Auditor Anil Lamichhane, was a member of the committee, the loan was sanctioned in the name of Ravi Lamichhane.

Not only Lamichhane but also Rastriya Swatantra Party's Vice President and Labor Minister DP Aryal was also involved in cooperative fraud cases. He was accused of cheating while he was the vice president of Hamro Naya Krishi Cooperative. 

Maoist Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey said that the Prime Minister agreed to call an all-party meeting to end the impasse in Parliament. According to him, the same meeting will also discuss about the investigation of Home Minister Lamichhane, who has been accused of being involved in cooperative fraud.