KATHMANDU, Feb. 19 -- A dispute has surfaced between the Minister for Water Supply Bina Magar and Secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur over whether to assign ongoing Melamchi Drinking Water Project to the Italian CMC Company yet again.

During a video interview, Secretary Thakur accused Minister Bina Magar of putting him in trouble by giving him verbal order to award the remaining work of Melamchi project to Italian contractor while he wanted a written order in advance.

He claimed that there has been a transaction of around four billion rupees involving drinking water business in the Kathmandu Valley a year.

"This transaction will stop immediately once the Melamchi project comes into operation. Therefore, some interest and lobby groups who d...