Siraha Municipality’s alleged malfeasance with COVID-19 relief budget; Exorbitant expenditure worth Rs. 5 crores 90 lakhs and 86 thousand rupees in the name of hospital bed pillow and pillow covers.
JANAKPURDHAM — Under a shocking revelation, a local municipality in Siraha has been found corrupting the budget allocated for COVID-19 prevention and control by spending over Rs 59,086 million rupees. The pillow and pillow covers that do not cost more than Rs 500/piece has been falsified in the budget sheet, with an exorbitant price of Rs 2,877/ piece raising serious concerns regarding swindling and relief fund misuse.
After the District Level COVID-19 Control Committee asked the locals to submit the details of the expenditure incurred in the Corona Prevention and Control campaign within three days, the Siraha Municipality had also submitted the expenditure details last Thursday.
In the expenditure statement made public by Siraha Municipality, irregularities have been found in most of the pillowcases. The municipality has purchased 111 pillowcases for which it has spent Rs. 319,275 making the price of each pillowcase absurdly high of worth Rs 2,876.
Chief of Siraha Municipality, Asheshwar Kumar Yadav said that the pillowcases were purchased at the rate of Rs 290 per piece. He said that the price of a sheet worth Rs 790 was also shown in terms of more than Rs 8,000 each. Furthermore, as per the expenditure details of the municipality, it has spent Rs. 193,000 for the purchase of 115 raincoats. Similarly, the municipality has spent Rs. 312,150 for the purchase of 337 raincoats.
A total of Rs. 259,400 has been spent on 349 beds. Similarly, Rs 2,02,997 has been spent on the purchase of 87,575 masks. The municipality has bought the mask at the rate of Rs 22.87, which however costs Rs 10 per unit in the market. The brand of the mask purchased has not been disclosed yet in the expenditure statement of the municipality.
Moreover, 5,999 liters of sanitizer has been purchased for Rs 1.41 million. The municipality has also spent Rs. 172,195 on the purchase of 72 cartons of soap. For the purchase of 225 unit of PEE and Jhul Supanet, Rs. 918,491 and Rs. 330,000 has been spent respectively.
Similarly, the municipality has purchased seven thermoguns for Rs 15,753. Expenditure details of Rs 4,24,575 and Rs 2,600 have been allocated for the purchase of a blanket. A total of Rs. 656,625 has been spent on electrical equipment and Rs. 258,651 on drinking water.
The mayor claims misprint
Mayor of Siraha Municipality Ashweshwor Prasad Yadav has responded that there was a print mistake in the details of the expenditure. When asked by online news about the higher expenditure, Mayor Yadav said that the amount was more because he had written directly without deducting money.
“We will rectify the expenditure details as soon as possible,” said Mayor Yadav. “Only actual expenses are included in the statement. However, since it is a print mistake, it should be corrected.”
