16 Chait, Kathmandu. The Commission of Inquiry has started an investigation against industrialist and Nepali Congress leader Virendra Kanodia on the allegation of rigging the subsidy given by the government to the sugarcane farmers. The farmers claim that Kanodia, who took a subsidy of Rs.
Sugarcane Farmers Sangharsh Samiti Sarlahi and National Agricultural Workers Union filed a complaint in the Authority saying that Kanodia’s Mahalaxmi Sugar Mill got Rs 248 lakh 23 thousand 900 from the government and for the second time Rs 631 lakh 14 thousand 23 from the government but Kanodia did not give .
A complaint was lodged against Kanodia on 20 February 2078 and on 23 March last. At that time Kanodia was the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lumbini State Legislative Assembly and was also a contender for the post of Chief Minister.
President of Sugarcane Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Sarlahi Ramswarth Rai said that he got information that the authority has started investigation by sending several letters. In a letter written by the Commission to Chairman Rai on March 6, there is mention of the initiation of investigation against Kanodia.
“An investigation has been launched against him for misusing subsidies to 87.9 million farmers,” Rai told online news.
According to authority sources, the government officials who gave subsidy to Kanodia, but did not distribute it to the farmers, are also being investigated. Mahalakshmi Sugars Pvt Ltd established by Kanodia at Kapilvastu has now been transferred to Gadauta in Sarlahi.
The government had fixed the price of sugarcane at Rs 471.28 per quintal for the financial year 2074-75. In which the government had announced to give 36 rupees 28 paise per quintal to give subsidy to the farmers. Similarly, for the financial year 2075/076, the government had fixed the minimum support price of sugarcane at Rs 536 28 paise. Out of which Rs.65 per quintal was given as grant to the farmers by the government. Last year, the government had given a subsidy of Rs 25 per quintal.
The arrangement was that the government would give this subsidy to the sugarcane industry and the industry would transfer the subsidy to the farmers on the basis of sugarcane sold by the farmers. But the farmers complained that Kanodia took the government subsidy but did not give it to them.
Kanodia has said that he has not received any subsidy from the government in all the three financial years. However, after the farmer drew the attention of the federal government to the said amount in writing, it was learned that Kanodia had withheld the tax after adjusting it through tax details from the finance ministry. After Kanodia said that they have not received the amount, the farmers demanded details with the government.
However, on 25 January 2075, the Ministry of Finance informed Kanodia Udyog that the money had been taken for tax refund, and wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Agriculture to recover the money, saying that the money should be paid to them. Needed To the farmers The farmers have not yet received the amount.
complaint to the authorities
