The government has brought the grabbed land of Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory under its ownership as per the Land Revenue Act 1978.
The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation organizing a press conference on Friday has stated that 10 ropanis of public land belonging to the erstwhile Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory that was transferred to individuals has been brought back to government ownership with help of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane a few days back had given instructions to bring back the land to government ownership.
Addressing the press conference Chief of the Land Revenue Office, Dilli Bazar Chhabi Lal Nepali has said that the land has come under government ownership automatically as per the Land Revenue Act 1978, and the Cabinet need not take a decision for that.
The CIB had arrested Arun Chaudhary, who was also the promoter of Champion Footwear Limited, the then executive chairman of Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa, and promoter of Chandbagh Residency Private Limited Sanjay Thakur on January 31 over their involvement in converting the public land into private property.
The Kathmandu District Court had initially remanded them to custody for four days and then for another two days on February 5.
But a bench of Judge Yagya Prasad Acharya had ordered the three to be released two days later by making them sign necessary documents stating that it did not appear necessary to keep them in custody for 25 days.
The CIB had arrested the three following an investigation for more than three months which it said found their involvement in converting the public land into private property.
It was found that CG Chandbagh Residency was built on 10 ropanis of the public land given to Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory, the CIB said.
Organizing a press conference on February 1, CIB’s Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Acharya had said that attempts were made to convert not only 10 ropanis, but the entire 18 ropanis of public land at Bansbari. The CIB had claimed that Champion Footwear Limited was set up at Bansbari to grab the public land there.
Statement of elder brothers of Arun Chaudhary—Nepali Congress lawmaker Binod Chaudhary and Basanta Chaudhary—were also recorded on Thursday and Wednesday respectively.
