Pokhara: Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has expressed its concern about the land transaction that took place after the office hours on Sunday night at Land Revenue Office, Kaski. Shambhu Koirala, Chief District Officer, told The Himalayan Times that the CIAA today sought an explanation from District Administration Office on the illegal transaction within three days.

He said, “All the transactions related to the land have been suspended and the files of the transaction carried out that night have been brought to the DAO.” He added that the local administration today sought written clarification from three of the six LRO employees involved in the illegal transaction. Others will be grilled on Wednesday.

Mukunda Prasad Dhakal , head, LRO, today submitted written clarification to DAO Kaski, as per the DAO’s directive issued yesterday.

On Sunday night, the Land Revenue Office transferred the ownership of the 1.3 ropani land of six plots, including the building and property, to Metro City Hospital after cancelling the claims of the bidders, who had bought the property during the auction.

Earlier, the land was registered in the name of Kaushala Iron and Steel Industries, which had received loan from banks on a collateral of 22 plots of land but had failed to clear the debt. KISI is registered in the names of Indra Prasad Shrestha, Dil Bahadur Chhetri, Jag Bahadur Gurung and Sangita Gurung of Kaski.

Since Kaushala Iron and Steel Industries Pvt Ltd had failed to clear the loan, Nepal Bank Limited, Nepal Bangladesh Bank and Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh had auctioned most of the property to Tan Bahadur Gurung of Rangbhang for Rs 140.2 million on the condition that he will clear the payment by mid-July. He also paid Rs 1.6 million charges for delaying the payment.

During the bidding, Gurung alone had claimed the land worth Rs 110.7 million, while land worth Rs 20 million was claimed by him in partnership with Haribabu Joshi of Gorakhkali, Gorkha. Nepal Bangaladesh Bank had issued the largest share of loan.

CDO Koirala suspects the hand of lending banks in the illegal transaction. He said, “Investigation is on. All things will be revealed within days.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of Metrocity Hospital Dr Bharat Bahadur Khatri told THT they had requested the LRO to carry out the transaction after the office hours and claimed that they did not indulge in any economic misappropriation.

“We had initiated the process to buy the land where our hospital is constructed after we came to know that it had been auctioned,” he said. “The procedure took long. So we requested the LRO authorities to help us by working late in the evening, as we feared we’ll face hurdles if we had failed to register the land on that day.”

source: The Himalayan Times(2010),"Land transaction spurs CIAA action ",18 August 2010,p.1