Minister Tanka Dhakal at the press meet. nepalnews.com/ks

Former communication minister Tanka Dhakal (File photo)
The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives Tuesday wrote to the Ministry of Information and Communication to recover the Rs 7.5 million from the communication ministers of the erstwhile royal government, which they had distributed to journalists.

After a meeting chaired by PAC chairman Chitra Bahadur KC, notified the ministry to recover the sum from the communication ministers of the royal government, who doled out ‘donations’ to pro-palace journalists and media groups under the heading ‘social service and peace campaign’.

The PAC in its letter said the then ministers distributed the amount illegally.

Minister of State for Information and Communication, Shrish Shumsher Rana,

Former minister of state for information and communication Shrish SJB Rana (File photo)
During their recent interrogation by the PAC, then communication minister Tanka Dhakal and his successor at the ministry, Shrish Shumsher Rana, had admitted to have made cash handouts to dozens of journalists and some media groups.

The former ministers had claimed that the money was doled out legally and under the one-door advertisement policy adopted by the royal government

Dhakal was later given local development portfolio in the royal government while Rana was the state minister for information and communication during the final months of the royal rule.

Both were known as the staunchest advocates of the direct rule of King Gyanendra.