In the financial year 2079/80, Madhes Province's Ministry of Finance has been implicated in illegal fund transfers and subsidies. The Finance Minister, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, allegedly manipulated laws and procedures to transfer 3 arab 34 crore 23 lakh 8 thousand 341 rupees to various ministries and local levels. The funds were distributed through questionable practices, including mixing jurisdictions and violating legal norms. There are accusations of financial manipulation, with some employees complying out of greed or fear. Additionally, the Ministry altered budget allocations, and the Auditor General criticized the practice of withdrawing funds from the 'Miscellaneous' category. The Special Parliamentary Inquiry Committee found irregularities, including unauthorized fund transfers before official requests. The committee concluded that the Ministry's actions were not mere errors but deliberate violations of administrative procedures, leading to unlawful diversions of local level subsidies. The report is yet to be presented in the provincial assembly. The Madhes Pradesh Appropriation Act, 2079, allows the Ministry of Finance to transfer funds within a 10% limit without increasing the total amount. However, six local levels reportedly didn't receive conditional grant amounts due to alleged demands for commissions. The Plan Selection Committee, coordinated by the Finance Minister, violated procedures by approving plans without basis. The Ministry allocated funds contrary to its own procedures, giving less or more than decided to certain municipalities. The report suggests including grant amounts in the budget book and approved by the state assembly to ensure fairness. The delay in submitting the report on Finance Minister Yadav's involvement is attributed to suspicions of protecting him, with committee members divided along party lines. Accusations of non-cooperation by the Ministry initially complicated the inquiry process. A committee member revealed that the Finance Minister was tempted to provide a clean chit in the report, offering a budget of four crore rupees for election expenses in the electoral constituency. The committee studied decisions related to the fiscal year 2079/80, details from the Provincial Auditor General's office, and information on grants received by local bodies. The committee also interviewed officials and employees mentioned in the decisions. https://www.setopati.com/kinmel/economy/318321