Author: space4knews

The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security has misplaced the investigation report and related files concerning the health test syndicate involved in foreign employment. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), formed by the police, has sent three letters to the ministry requesting the original copies and relevant files for investigation. Former Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari stated that he had submitted a copy of the report to the ministry and that the investigation was ongoing.

Kathmandu, 12 May – It has been revealed that the investigation report and associated files regarding the syndicate defrauding workers undergoing medical examinations for foreign employment have gone missing from the ministry. Despite repeated requests, the CIB has not been able to obtain the study report and files prepared after the investigation into the health test syndicate.

A task force led by Deputy Secretary Upendra Paudel submitted a report after the investigation, but it remained pending in the ministry for a long time. The Prime Minister’s Office, taking interest in the matter, directed the CIB to carry out further investigations. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the CIB was instructed on 15 April to investigate the syndicate’s activities in the health sector and subsequently began the inquiry.

Following the Prime Minister’s Office directive, the CIB requested documents from the ministry. The ministry claimed to have sent the requested details via letter no. 314. However, as the information was incomplete, the CIB sent another request on 29 April through letter no. 10881. Thereafter, the ministry provided a 13-page photocopy to the CIB on 8 May.

“The requested details were already sent through the Ministry of Home Affairs in letter no. 314 dated 17 April 2021. Additionally, a 13-page copy of the documents is attached,” stated the ministry’s letter signed by employee Mamata Kumari. Despite this claim, the CIB has sent two further letters requesting the original copies and files necessary for the investigation. These documents have not yet been received from the ministry.

“We have repeatedly requested the original file and documents required for the investigation but have yet to receive them,” said a senior CIB official. In light of the report being missing from the ministry, Minister Ramji Yadav contacted former Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari on Monday. The CIB’s third request explicitly seeks original copies and complete files, not photocopies.

Since the ministry provided photocopies of only 13 pages twice, the CIB issued a third letter on 11 May demanding the full versions and relevant files. The failure to provide these documents has caused unrest within the ministry.

Rajendra Singh Bhandari was appointed Labor Minister on 11 December in the interim government formed after the second People’s Movement. He declared the dissolution of the foreign employment syndicate and constituted a 16-member special task force including Deputy Secretary Upendra Paudel, Lawrij Joshi, two DSPs, and Nepal Police Inspectors.

“After assuming ministerial responsibility, I created a joint task force comprising ministry employees and police and directed them to focus on organized crime in foreign employment. They were transferred to the Foreign Employment Department, but due to poor work conditions, they could not remain there,” said former Minister Bhandari.

The task force was later deployed for monitoring, and Minister Bhandari instructed an investigation into the operation of the foreign employment syndicate. The committee submitted their report. “The report was on my table, and I had prepared a separate section on how to proceed with action; however, work stopped due to the elections. Some members even participated in the elections. After the new government took office, they decided to take action. I did not return to the ministry after the elections,” he added.

Now, the report submitted by this task force has gone missing from the ministry. After failing to locate the report, Minister Yadav reached out to former Minister Bhandari. “The minister inquired yesterday. I searched at home but could not find it. It should have been kept in the ministry. Since I left the position, I have no knowledge of its whereabouts,” Bhandari said, adding that he had already provided the ministry with a well-organized copy.

Following complaints about health test fraud and tax evasion, Bhandari consulted with officials from the Revenue Investigation Department and CIB. During his tenure, on 19 December 2025, the health examination fee was reduced from NPR 9,500 to NPR 6,500. In an interview on 6 February, he revealed that the secretary had opposed the fee reduction.

“I decided to reduce the fee, but the secretary did not agree. When I said I would clarify the matter through the media, the secretary was ready to process the file,” Bhandari explained.

Suspicions have been raised that the report was lost due to culprits including Kailash Khadka, president of the National Health Professionals Association, among others responsible for the syndicate operating between health institutions conducting medical examinations for foreign employment. At that time, Krishna Hari Pushkar was the labor secretary. The disappearance of the file amidst opposition to the fee reduction is seen as a sign of irregularity. The ministry has yet to provide a clear response about the lost report and files.

Although attempts to contact Labor Secretary Deepak Pandel were unsuccessful, a ministry spokesperson confirmed that the search is ongoing. “Members of the committee have stated they submitted the report, but we have been unable to locate it. The search continues, and there is no further information,” said Gimire.

The 16-member task force raided 36 health institutions conducting medical tests for foreign employment, collected extensive documents, and completed investigations. Separate reports and files were prepared for each institution. Despite recommendations for punitive action based on evidence, the ministry has lost the files related to these 36 institutions.

The missing report emphasized the need to investigate fraud, organized crime, foreign currency violations, offenses against the state, and money laundering, naming individuals including Kailash Khadka, president of the Nepal Health Professionals Federation. It mentions that health institutions and human resource agencies run a syndicate that extorts money during foreign employment processes and evades taxes.

According to the agreement between Nepal and Malaysia, under the “Security Screening and Medical Examination” scheme, employers must refund the medical examination fee to workers from their first-month salary. However, the report highlights that such refunds were not made and detailed investigations are needed to identify who received the money.

Despite the fee being reduced to NPR 6,500 on 19 December 2025, some manpower companies and medical centers charged more. Sachin Chaudhary, a 22-year-old resident of Shivraj Municipality, Kapilvastu, filed a complaint and gave a video statement. Those institutions charging extra fees were recommended for punishment.

There were also violations of rules that stipulate that service fees should not exceed NPR 10,000, even for free visas and tickets. The task force found that higher fees were charged. Between 13 and 29 February 2020, the 36 health institutions conducted medical tests for 11,828 Malaysian workers contracted by Bestnet Malaysia and Micro Teach Pvt. Ltd. as per Nepal’s agreement. The Malaysian embassy sent a letter dated 16 June 2020 to Nepal Rastra Bank which is suspected to be forged.

Questions have been raised about the role of ministry staff and ministers. It is suspected that funds were transferred to Malaysia based on the embassy’s letter. The task force also observed that manpower companies had a pattern of forcing workers to undergo medical exams to defraud them.

South Asian Medical Center Pvt. Ltd. issued fake medical reports, leading to workers failing exams in Malaysia and being sent back; the task force collected these cases. Although the 36 institutions were exempt from VAT on health services, Micro Teach was issued a VAT bill for NPR 3,164, indicating links to organized crime and money laundering.

Procedural regulations suggest that monitoring and regulation are necessary when health institutions do not operate properly. It was recommended to stop repeated testing by the same individual and the resulting unnecessary fees. The task force began investigations after reports of fraud and tax evasion related to health exams dating back to 2013. They found that more than NPR 450 million was collected in excess fees from around 15 individuals, with further investigation underway.

In the opening match of Nepal’s home series under the ICC World Cup Cricket League–2, Nepal was narrowly defeated by Scotland by 2 runs. Scotland posted a total of 243 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 50 overs, while Nepal managed 218 runs for 7 wickets in 39 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane delivered an impressive bowling performance, taking 4 wickets while conceding 41 runs, and Gulsan scored an unbeaten 61 runs. The match took place on April 29 in Kathmandu.

Due to rain interruptions, the target for Nepal was adjusted to 221 runs in 39 overs following the DLS method. Despite Gulsan’s aggressive half-century, Nepal was unable to secure the win. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 55 runs and shared a crucial 76-run partnership for the fourth wicket with captain Rohit Paudel, who scored 32 before being dismissed.

For Scotland, Bradley Currie took 3 wickets, Mark Watt claimed 2, and Jack Jarvis along with Oliver Davidson took one wicket each. After winning the toss and electing to bat first at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Scotland’s opener George Munsey led the charge with the highest individual score of 75 runs. Munsey also shared a substantial 114-run opening partnership with Phil Mack.

Sandeep Lamichhane shifted the momentum by dismissing both openers in a single over. Scotland’s Matthew Cross and Michael Leask then added 44 runs for the fifth wicket. Nepal is scheduled to play their second match of the series against the United States on Saturday.

Independent MP Mahavir Pun has expressed dissatisfaction after being allotted only five minutes to speak in the parliament. Despite his efforts as a former minister to introduce three ordinances, the current government has yet to implement them. Pun has also called for the removal of the provision that appoints the Prime Minister as the university chancellor and advocated for the establishment of a separate Ministry of Science and Technology. Kathmandu, 29 Baisakh – Today, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal granted MP Pun just five minutes to address the house, prompting his dissatisfaction. From the rostrum, Pun stated, “I should not be demeaned as a solitary honorable member. While others are given 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes, I am not even being afforded five minutes.” He claimed to have more support across the country than many party MPs and reminded the Speaker of this fact. “My support is extensive throughout Nepal. I am not alone. I am recognized by all Nepalis. Five minutes is unacceptable,” he emphasized. Pun further revealed that the three ordinances he sought to introduce during his tenure as minister have not been adopted by the current government. “I attempted to bring in three ordinances, but that did not materialize,” he said. “The government introduced eight ordinances, but those I attempted are not among them.” He also disclosed that the ordinance he proposed to abolish the provision making the Prime Minister the university chancellor was not included in the present legislation. “It was promised that universities would be free from political influence, yet the current system still designates the Prime Minister as chancellor,” he remarked. Additionally, Pun urged the government to form a separate Ministry of Science and Technology to foster development in the field.

Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi has taken a firm stance against the removal of landless or disorganized squatter settlements based on criteria set by the federal government. Mayor Ramkrishna Khan has expressed support for providing land ownership certificates for measured lands to residents living in such settlements. The Struggle Committee submitted a seven-point memorandum to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, urging immediate provision of land ownership certificates to landless squatters. (29 Baisakh, Butwal)

Rejecting the federal government’s directive to remove landless and disorganized squatter settlements, Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi has maintained a clear position on this matter. Following the submission of the seven-point memorandum by the Struggle Committee for disorganized settlers, landless, and squatters, Mayor Ramkrishna Khan and Deputy Mayor Jageshwari Devi Chaudhary jointly condemned the federal government for what they called ‘bulldozer terror,’ and voiced their opposition to the campaign. Mayor Khan said, “The current government has unleashed terror, and Tilottama Municipality does not support it. We are in favor of issuing land ownership certificates for surveyed lands to the landless and disorganized settlers.”

Mayor Khan emphasized the municipality’s support for the landless and disorganized settlers’ movement, urging no one to lose heart. He said, “We fully support your demands, are concerned about solving the problems, and will not back down if necessary to fulfill your demands. This struggle to protect homes and lands inhabited for years is not just a legal issue but a matter of humanity, linked to the security of millions of families and the future of their children. Therefore, the entire municipality stands beside you.”

Deputy Mayor Jageshwari Devi Chaudhary noted that while notifications for revenue collection to distribute land ownership certificates for lands already surveyed by previous commissions remain pending, the bulldozer terror nationwide has alarmed millions of citizens. She added that although the federal government has issued a circular requesting data, no decision has yet been taken. “When bulldozers operate elsewhere, the terror spreads here too, but we stand with the residents of this municipality,” Chaudhary stated. “Rest assured, we will not cause you any harm.”

Harka Sampang, chairperson of the Labour Culture Party, has emphasized that parliamentarians must be accountable for their primary responsibilities. During the House of Representatives meeting, he pointed out that about half of the seats were vacant and urged the Speaker to address this issue. April 11, Kathmandu.

Speaking at Wednesday’s House of Representatives session, Sampang stated, ‘Even today, nearly half of the seats here are empty. This Parliament should not tolerate a situation where those who want to attend come, and those who do not want to come simply abstain. I urge the Speaker to consider this matter seriously.’

Harka Sampang, Chairman of the Labor Culture Party and a Member of Parliament, raised concerns about the Prime Minister’s failure to address the parliament. He emphasized that the Prime Minister’s refusal to respond to MPs’ questions is equivalent to ignoring the public’s concerns, highlighting this as a sign of incapability. Sampang also questioned whether the Nepalese government was informed or uninformed about India’s construction activities along the border regions. Kathmandu, 29 Baisakh.

During Tuesday’s session of the House of Representatives, MP Harka Sampang asked for clarification on whether the current government indeed has a functioning Prime Minister. He stated, “Is there a Prime Minister in this government? If there is, is it not necessary for the Prime Minister to address the assembly?” He further added, “Should Members of Parliament be required to receive answers to their questions or not? Denying answers to MPs’ questions is tantamount to denying the public their rightful answers.” Sampang warned that a Prime Minister unable to provide responses should be considered unfit for office.

“Refusing to answer questions is a hallmark of incompetence. Is our Prime Minister truly unqualified and incapable?” MP Sampang asked. “The people have to live in fear of the government. How can we call a government that cannot protect citizens’ lives and properties, or secure the borders, successful?” he added. He also questioned the government about India’s ongoing construction along the border areas. “Has the neighboring country informed the Nepalese government about the construction activities happening in border areas, or are these actions being taken without periodic notification?” he elaborated. “The construction along the banks of the Mahakali River can be cited as an example.”