KATHMANDU, May 20: Balen Shah, the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has announced the names of 101 companies attempting land swaps similar to the Giri Bandhu Tea Estate.
Writing on social media on Monday, he said that after Giri Bandhu land was allowed to be sold by swapping the land, more than 100 other companies submitted applications to sell thousands of bigas of land, demanding the same ceiling exemption and land swaps as Giri Bandhu.
His post further reads, "It is estimated that making a policy decision to grant ceiling exemptions to all these companies could result in transactions amounting to at least Rs 5 trillion. A decision by the Supreme Court has currently put a halt on the schemes of these companies submitting such applications. However, the brokers' syndicate and those making decisions at the policy level are still openly present in political power centers. Their voices have not diminished."
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The companies applying for land swapping include KP Oli Trust, Rairang Hydropower Development, Panchthar, Keshari Tea Garden, Panchthar, Om Tea Gardens Pvt Ltd, Ilam, Siddha Pokhari Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Ilam, Illan Tea Estate, Ilam, Sanvi Energy Pvt Ltd Small Hydropower Project, Ilam, Mangmalung Tea Plantation Ltd, Ilam, Kirateshwar Tea Garden Pvt Ltd, Trishuli, Ilam, Him Tea Plantation Pvt Ltd, Ilam, Fikkal Tea & Coffee Company Pvt, Kanyam Pashupati, Panchkanya, Ilam, Ronak Tea Estate, Jhapa, Gomadevi Tea Estate, Jhapa,
Another companies include Jhapa Tea Estate, Jhapa, Rajgadh Tea Development Company Pvt Ltd Bhadrapur, Jhapa, Kalpana Tea Estate, Jhapa, Mohan Tea Estate Industries, Jhapa, Bajrayogini Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Jyamirgadhi Tea Estate, Jhapa, Raj Tea Estate, Jhapa, Padam Tea Estate, Jhapa, Ilam Tea Plantation Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Paudel Bandhu Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Himal International Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Nakkalbanda Tea Estate, Chakchaki Tea Estate, Jhapa, Laxmi Tea Estate, Jhapa, Saurabh Tea Industry Pvt Ltd, Jhapa.
Additional companies are International Institute of Health Sciences and Services Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Chandragadi Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Roman Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Hadiya Real Tea-Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, Prayas Tea Industry, Jhapa, Shriddhi Ganesh Tea-Estate Pvt Ltd, Jhapa, New-Giri & Sons, Jhapa, Gupta Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Bhadrapur, Jhapa, Kuwadidevi Tea Estate Pvt Ltd Pagandubba, Jhapa, GP Koirala Foundation, Morang, Eastern Star Agriculture and Cooperative Ltd, Morang, Jiri Tea Development Pvt Ltd, Dhankuta, Kuwapani Tea Plantation Pvt Ltd, Dhankuta, Munga Tea Gardens Pvt Ltd, Dhankuta, Chulachuli Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Dhankuta, Maruti Cement Pvt Ltd, Siraha, Kechana Tea Estate Pvt Ltd, Dolakha, and so on.
Here is the full list of the companies:
