Sunsari-Morang industrialists coping with donation drive

BIRATNAGAR, DEC 28 -

Industrialists in the Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor —already hit hard by a host of problems including power shortage—are also coping with intensified donation drive from political parties, their sister outfits and local social organisations.

Besides political parties and their sister organisations, even student organisations, religious groups and local clubs are asking money for picnic and religious activities, local businessmen say. “Earlier they used to visit my office, place calls for donation. But now, they have started visiting my residence. It’s too much,” said a businessman.

Currently, the CPN (UML)’s Morang district committee is preparing to hold its district convention. The UCPN (Maoist)-aligned All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary) recently held its convention in Biratnagar for which donations were collected. And, the CPN-Maoist also collected donations from entrepreneurs to organise various events.

Almost all political parties, including the Nepali Congress, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik and

their student and workers’ bodies are also collecting donations from the private sector to hold their programmes.

However, police said they have not received any complaint about the donation drive. “We have heard about such practices, but no formal complaint has been registered with us,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Uma Prasad Chaturvedi.

Some businessmen, however, acknowledged that some of their peers were deliberately bribing politicians to serve their petty interests. “The business community should stop providing donations to political parties until they introduce a new constitution,” a businessman said.

Formal requests from

UCPN-Maoist: FNCCI chief

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Suraj Vaidya has said donation drive has become a major problem for the private sector. He said most of the FNCCI members have received formal requests for donation from CPN-Maoist

that is holding its general convention soon, while other parties including UCPN (Maoist) are also making verbal requests. Vaidya stressed for a transparent legal mechanism on donations that entrepreneurs should pay. “Foreign countries have mechanisms in place that provisions taxation on donation exceeding a certain amount,” he added.

Source: The Kathmandu Post