The Tamesis
April 16, 2026
kathmandu – The government has set up a commission to investigate the assets of politicians and officials who have held top political and administrative offices over the past two decades.
The cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to constitute a five-member committee chaired by former judge Rajendra Kumar Bhandari.
While opposition parties say they have long demanded such an inquiry, they stress the commission must focus on evidence rather than being used for political propaganda.
Government spokesperson and Minister of Education, Science, Technology, Youth and Sports Sasmit Pokharel said the cabinet had approved the establishment of the committee.
“It has been decided to set up a property survey committee to collect, verify and investigate the asset details of key political officials and senior employees holding public office from 2006 to date. The committee will be chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and will include former Justice Purushottam Parajuli, former Justice Chandiraj Dhakal, former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ganesh KC and Chartered Accountant Prakash Lamsal,” Pokharel said.
On March 27, Prime Minister Balendra Shah held the first cabinet meeting and decided to set up a high-level assets survey committee.
The decision said: “In order to end the prevailing corruption, tendency to hide assets and impunity in the country, an authorized assets investigation committee should be established within 15 days, headed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Council of Ministers. The committee will include experts in the legal, financial, tax and investigative fields, as well as representatives of relevant agencies. To this end, the necessary legal and technical mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the entire process is transparent and results-oriented.”
The committee will be empowered to collect, analyze and recommend necessary documents, details and records, the statement said.
The government’s decision on March 27 stated that the first phase will be to collect, verify and investigate the asset details of key political officials and senior staff who have held public office since 2006. The second phase will see the establishment of a separate committee to examine the assets of similar officers between 1991 and 2005.
The Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in parliament, said that while setting up such a committee was appropriate, it would be better implemented through permanent legislation and should not be politicized.
Congress spokesperson Devraj Chalise said the party’s position was that the assets of all individuals holding executive and senior administrative positions since 1990 should be investigated.
“We are clear that there must be an investigation into the assets of those who have held executive positions since 1990. Such a committee should not just be set up, but legal provisions should be made. The investigation should be fair and evidence-based.”
He said those involved in irregularities and misappropriation of public funds should be prosecuted in accordance with the law, regardless of their position or position. The Congress spokesman added that the government may be seeking a political tool to punish opponents under the guise of fighting corruption.
Padma Aryal, MP and CPN-ML secretary, said the committee must operate on the basis of facts and truth. “The committee was also established to do justice. It should not be to cover up wrongdoing,” Ayal said. She added that her party had also been calling for a similar investigation.
Separately, the Cabinet also constituted another committee headed by former High Court judge Prem Raj Karki to implement parts of the report of the committee probing the events of September 8-9, 2025, especially those related to security agencies.
The committee will study and recommend actions regarding security mechanisms based on the report led by Gauri Bahadur Karki.
Other members of the committee include former Additional Inspector General of the Armed Police Force Subodh Adhikari and former Additional Inspector General of Nepal Police Tek Prasad Rai.
