The annual report of the Office of the Auditor General has revealed that the officials of Pashupati Area Development Trust have not submitted any authentic report in regard to 10 kg and 976 gram of gold placed in the Jalahari of the Pashupatinath Temple.
In its 59th report of the Auditor General Office, it has mentioned that 96 kg and 822 gram gold has been used to make a water pot (Jaldhar), Nag, Nagmurti and nails and remaining 10 kg and 967 gram gold was used to make the ring to hold the Jalahari.
But the then officers of the PADT have not submitted any authentic report about the gold that was used to make the ring of 10 kg and 967 gram gold.
According to the price at that time, the value of the gold is equal to Rs. 78.6 million, the report said.
The trust had purchased 103 kg and 773 gram of gold from Nepal Rastra Bank at Rs. 800 million.
The report states that 107kg and 924.75 gram of gold including the mixture of other metals and chemicals — 2.89 kg of copper, 1.249 kg silver and 12.75 kg zinc — were used to prepare the Jalahari.
It is mentioned in the report that the Jalahari was manufactured from Rolling Mills of Patan Industrial Area and 13 workers had been employed to prepare it.
But the PADT has not submitted any agreement letter signed with the mills and payment to those workers.
The gold Jalahari was installed by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the base of the main idol of four-faced Shivalinga, in Pashupatinath Temple on February 25, 2021 when KP Sharma Oli was Prime Minister.
The Supreme Court (SC) issued an interim order against the government’s decision to install the Jalahari hours after it was placed but it is yet to give its final verdict on the case.
Source : TRN,
