Business»
CIAA seeks ‘midnight’ deal details
POKHARA, AUG 17 -
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has directed the Pokhara Land Revenue Office (LRO) to submit within 24 hours the details related to a midnight land transaction worth millions of rupees.
There had been transactions of Rs. 231.56 million including both the purchase price and revenue for the government.
The CIAA suspected wrongdoing after it was revealed that a single plot of land in Pokhara had changed hands three times at midnight Sunday. The CIAA also directed the District Administration Office (DAO), Kaski, to probe the issue. The DAO has already confiscated the files related to the transaction before the CIAA directive. It has also halted land transaction to prevent any further business deal.
The DAO has been interrogating LRO employees, including land revenue officer Mukunda Prasad Dhakal involved in the mid-night land transaction. Dhakal responded to the DAO’s queries made by Chief District Officer Shambhu Prasad Koirala on Tuesday. The CDO also started interrogating 12 LRO employees by summoning them at DAO.
Nepal Bank Limited, Nepal Bangladesh Bank and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) had sold the land put up as collateral by Kausila Iron and Industries located at Sirjana Chok, Pokhara to one Tan Bahadur Thapa during the night.
Thapa of Rangbang, Syangja had purchased 14 kittas of land at wards 8, 9 and 17 of Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City for Rs. 117 million. Thapa and Hari Babu Joshi of Gorakhkali VDC, Gorkha, had purchased another 5 kattha land jointly at Rs. 13.5 million. The two banks and the EPF had sold the collateral land owned by Dil Bahadur Chhetri, Jaga Bahadur Gurung, Netra Kumari Gurung and Sangita Gurung.
Thapa resold a section of 6 kitta land of 1 ropani, 3 aana and 3 dama in area along with three buildings to Metro City Hospital that same night. The hospital had been operating there on rental basis. Thapa had sold the land to the hospital for Rs. 90 million although he had purchased the land for Rs. 67.5 million. Himchuli Development Bank provided a term loan to the hospital against the collateral of the same land. CDO Koirala said three LRO employees were interrogated and the rest would be grilled on Wednesday.
Among the employees involved in the mid-night land transactions are land revenue officer Shalikram Dhakal, section officer Keshav Subedi, Subbas Kirshna Prasad Koirala, Laprasad Subedi, Laxmi Poudel and Khim Prasad Marasini. Kharidars, including Lok Nath Subedi, Ram Chandra Poudel, Deepak Poudel, Dillraj Subedi and Dilli Prasad Sharma, were also involved.
LRO chief Dhakal claimed that they have committed no irregularity. The CDO said the DAO would send all documents to the CIAA after conducting the probe as directed.
Meanwhile, Metro City Hospital said on Tuesday claimed that it was not involved in any irregularity.
“We urged the LRO to immediately complete the process of land ownership transfer as our advanced payment to the group of Thapa could be at risk if ownership was not transferred at the earliest.”
Posted on: 2010-08-18 08:19
Headlines
Advertisements
