A scuffle ensued between the municipal chiefs and police in Rajbiraj after the former tried to padlock the office of the Water Resource and Irrigation Development Division over an alleged corruption scandal on Sunday.

Bodebarsain Municipality chief Atesh Kumar Singh Yadav and Khadga Municipality chief Hemayu Hak had reached the office with their supporters to padlock it.

Yadav said the division’s chief Raj Kumar Khang tried to embezzle the budget meant for controlling the Khadga River that flows through the two municipalities. He added that although the ministry under the federal and provincial government debriefs them of the development agendas within their municipalities, the division office does as it pleases.

Yadav said Rs30.9 million budget was allocated this year for controlling the Khadga River which the division chief Khang tried to misappropriate for commission by forming a consumers committee on his own accord.

Yadav accused Khang of fleeing after the municipalities demanded him to provide the estimates of the budget strategy some 15 days ago.

“For the past 15 days, we (municipal chiefs) are trying to get hold of the estimates of the river control strategy but the division chief does not want to hand us that plan,” said Yadav. “Infuriated by this dilly-dally, we have come to padlock the division’s office.”

However, their plan to padlock the office failed after the police intervened, resulting in the skirmish.

The mayors have demanded that the estimates be shared with them at the earliest and warned of protests if the division chief Khang does not comply with their demands.

Khang, however, was not available for comments on this issue.