Kathmandu – Preparations are underway to remove Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta after an audio clip claiming he had made a bribe deal went public.

According to a high-ranking source, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will return to Kathmandu and take a decision on the matter. ‘This happened while the Prime Minister was in the East, preparations are underway to take a decision on this after he returns,’ the source said.

According to the source, a decision will be made to make Minister Gupta resign or dismiss him. ‘He is being asked to resign. That is the best option,’ the source said, ‘otherwise, a decision will have to be made to dismiss him.’

In the audio clip that has been made public, Minister Gupta has also accused another minister, Balram Adhikari, of taking a bribe. However, there is a possibility that no decision will be taken immediately on the basis of the same allegation against Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Adhikari.

‘First of all, Minister Gupta’s statement is yet to be confirmed. Now, just because he said so, action should not be taken against another minister immediately,’ the source said.

According to the audio that has been made public, there has been a conversation between the middleman and Minister Gupta regarding the appointment of the District Chairman of the Land Commission, Kaski. It is heard that a bribe was dealt in the appointment of the Land Commission Chairman.

However, the person named in the audio was not appointed as the District Chairman of the Commission. It is understood that the name proposed by the middleman could not be successful due to the leaders of the UML District and Provincial Committees.

Based on the audio, a deal has been made not only in the political appointment of the District Chairman of the Land Commission, but also in the transfer of the Chief of the Land Revenue Office, Kaski. A bribe of Rs 5.3 million was dealt in the transfer of the Chief of the Land Revenue Office.