CPN-M affiliated All Nepal Peasants´ Federation -Revolutionary (ANPF-R) Nawalparasi chapter pitched the party flag on Bhattarai´s land Friday and announced the capture. [break]
ANPF-R district chairman Yam Prasad Dhakal said they captured Bhattarai´s land, which was being cultivated by local people on sharecropping basis, after he tried to sell the land. "The move to capture the land falls in the line of our party´ central policy. Our party has policy of grabbing those fertile land which is left barren and where plotting is done for the housing purpose, which discourages agriculture production," said Dhakal.
Dhakal also informed that his party CPN-Maoist still has around 80 bigha of private land under its control.
According the CPN-Maoist source, they have seized over 80 bigha of land including 3 bigha of land belonging to the Nepal Food Corporation in Gaidakot, and 12 bigha belonging to Ram Laxman Guthi in Agyauli among others. According to those who are currently tilling the Maoist-captured land, they have to submit a third of the annual harvest to the party.
Dhakal also informed his party has issued instructions to its sister wings to capture any agricultural land, which is being sold to real estate developers.
Victim Bhattarai complained that the district administration is doing nothing to stop the Maoists from capturing private land on broad daylight. However, Nawalparasi district police office chief Krishna Hari Gautam said police had not received any complaint about land grab. He also said a police team has been deployed to the area to learn about the situation.
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