JANAKPUR, April 6: Madhesh Province Finance Minister Mahesh Prasad Yadav has drawn criticism after warning media outlets of possible action for publishing reports alleging irregularities and commission dealings within the provincial finance ministry.
Speaking at a press conference in Janakpur on Monday, Yadav cautioned journalists and media houses against continuing to publish what he described as “unverified and baseless” reports about alleged corruption in the ministry.
“If this continues, control it yourselves. Otherwise, the Finance Ministry and the Madhesh Province government may be forced to take action,” Yadav told reporters.
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Rather than challenging the reports through legal channels, the minister said the provincial government itself could move to take action against the concerned media organizations.
The remarks came after Janakpur-based national daily Janakpur Today published a series of reports alleging commission practices within the ministry. The newspaper claimed that budget releases had been held back, authority letters delayed for projects that refused to pay commissions, and intermediaries deployed in staff transfers.
Yadav accused certain media outlets of acting in their own interests despite having previously received financial benefits from the provincial government. “If you have evidence of wrongdoing, publish it transparently. But defaming someone for personal interests is not the duty of journalists,” he said.
Journalist associations have strongly criticized the minister’s remarks. Puran Sah, president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Dhanusha chapter, said the statement reflected a lack of understanding of legal procedures.
“If the minister is dissatisfied with a report, there are legal mechanisms to challenge it. Saying the government itself will take action against media is inappropriate,” Sah said, adding that such statements undermine press freedom.
Interestingly, while accusing the media of publishing unverified reports, Yadav also acknowledged during the same press conference that intermediaries were influencing activities within the ministry.
Although the minister presented a 16-point clarification regarding operational challenges in the ministry, he declined to answer questions about why budgets for several ministries remained frozen while project approvals for four ministries had recently moved forward.
