The BBC World Service Trust has been airing Sajha Saawal, a political debate program, for the past four years. Identified as the BBC's international charity, the trust was registered with the government's Social Welfare Council as an INGO. The trust had declared a budget of USD 1 million to run projects on maternal health, but is spending more than USD 3 million annually and running a program whose content is highly political. The documents state that the funds are raised from the BBC's internal sources and donors but officials at the trust refused to give any names. An official at the Press Council admitted that the trust's activities may have gone beyond the mandate in the contract and said further investigation is necessary. At a time when foreign investment in media is still a contentious issue in Nepal, journalists like Shiva Gaule and Dhruba Hari Adhikari say, an INGO should not be allowed to run political debates on national television.
