Investigative Reports

How local governments in Rolpa are overhauling their schools

While some local governments fail to exercise their right to manage schools in their jurisdiction, Triveni Rural Municipality has done an exemplary job. Other rural municipalities of the district are also following suit.

Mahesh Neupane  | CIJ, Nepal

Foul play causes devastation in Save Fewa Lake mission 

A major dam constructed to stop silt deposition in Fewa lake faced damage due to substandard construction. The remaining three dams are also at risk of collapse. Rs 280 million budget spent for constriction went in vain but no one has been held accountable so far for this loss. 

Shyam Rana Magar | CIJ, Nepal

People’s representatives grab people’s land

 Ruapandehi is urbanising rapidly, and all types of land, from farmland to public land are being grabbed and sold. In most cases, the people’s representatives have been found to be involved in land grabbing.

Amrita Anmol | CIJ, Nepal

Bhutanese political prisoners have been languishing in jails for nearly 30 years

Majority of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese nationals who were forcefully evicted from the country since 1990 have now settled in various countries in the world after spending two decades of refugee lives. But many of their relatives have been imprisoned in Bhutan for 30 years. Over 30 political prisoners are housed at Chemgang jail.

Devendra Bhattarai | CIJ, Nepal

Bhutan’s happiness index ‘illusion’

The truth is that Bhutan carried out a horrific ethnic cleansing in the 1980s and 1990s–one of the biggest in history. A large part of the population, 6 percent, was sent into exile.

Devendra Bhattarai | CIJ, Nepal

Business of converting fake licences into genuine ones

Around 500 fake driving licences issued illegally by the Office of Transportation Management, Butwal, were converted into genuine licences in Birgunj.

Bhushan Yadav | CIJ, Nepal

Public service at the local level affected due to a shortage of human resource

Nepal’s apex court has questioned and stopped the employee integration decision made based on federal law. As a result, local and provincial administrations, supposed to be stable and well-functioning, have been severely affected. Krishna Gyawali, Center for Investigative Journalism, Nepal On 10 September 2021, Sarita Sharma (who wanted to be identified with a pseudonym), a […]

How three tiers of governments colluded to spend Rs 500 million to fund cadres in the name of “war tourism” in Rolpa

In Rolpa, programs ostensibly organized to promote “war tourism” have become a source to fund cadres out of state coffers in the leadership of Maoist (Centre).

Mahesh Neupane | CIJ, Nepal

Nepal’s affluent businessmen are gobbling up the government-provided agricultural loan subsidy meant for poor farmers

Affluent businessmen have been reaping the benefits of Nepal government’s agricultural loan subsidy program, aimed to ensure farmers’ access to capital and increase production. An expose on how the government has been funding big businessmen in the name of subsidy, out of taxpayers’ money.

Ramesh Kumar | CIJ, Nepal

Permit to Plunder

Industries that mine the riverbeds for stone and pebbles might be lucrative for local governments, but the environment is paying the price.

Madi Mayor’s questionable conduct: Public land rented out and sold for plotting, bypassing laws

Thakur Prasad Dhakal, the mayor of Madi Municipality, has made a mockery of rule of law and public mandate—renting out public land and allowing plotting in arable land.

Pratima Silwal  | CIJ, Nepal

Conservation in Chure takes a back seat

Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel announced that the government would seek to reduce the trade deficit by selling off the country’s sand and gravel. The country’s ballooning trade deficit currently stands at nearly $10 billion.

Steel buildings become a new hazard in Kathmandu valley

After the 2015 Earthquake, there has been a rise in the construction of steel buildings as they are claimed to be sturdier than concrete ones. But these houses flout safe building protocols, and have turned into potential hazards.

Rudra Pangeni, | CIJ, Nepal

Permit to plunder: How the environment is paying the price for Nepal local governments’ greed

Bhrikuti Rai, Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal    Like most locals from villages dotting the banks of the Indrawati in the Sindhupalchok district of central Nepal, Kamal Ratna Danuwar grew up with stories that revered the river. After all, the perennial waters of the snow-fed Indrawati nourished their fields and gave villagers bountiful harvests twice a […]

Local levels making faux recommendations to seek budget

The District Project Implementation Unit of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has been apportioning budget to construct school buildings on the basis of faux recommendations of the local levels.

Aas Gurung: | CIJ, Nepal

Nepalgunj Emerges as Trailblazer in Covid-19 Treatment

As much of the country continues to struggle, Nepalgunj Submetropolitan City has shown how to conduct treatment and management of patients effectively.

Krishna Adhikari, | CIJ, Nepal

“War-era dreams still haunt us,” maimed Maoist ex-fighters feel betrayed

How do former Maoist combatants feel about the People’s War these days? Injured and physically disabled former Maoist combatants say “leaders showed us dreams, we fought for it risking our life and now the very dreams haunt us.”

Durga Lal KC, Center for Investigative Journalism-Nepal

Tax questions hang over Mahato’s Ncell profits

Rudra Pangeni and Deepak Adhikari, Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal

Ncell: Nepali investors make millions from opaque share deals

Rudra Pangeni and Deepak Adhikari, Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal

Diarmid O’Sullivan for Finance Uncovered

How representation of Muslim women in local units is bringing about a quiet change

While many local units have been plagued with allegations of corruption and irregularities, the Muslim women elected in local units in Banke and Bardiya have delivered a hopeful performance, “bringing democracy to every doorsteps”.

Prem Biswakarma, Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal