KATHMANDU, Dec 31: The authorities initiated the process of exempting the land ceiling on 164 out of 184 ropanis of land, including the Shera Durbar in Bidur, Nuwakot, and transferring it to individual ownership during Pushpa Kamal Dahal's tenure as Prime Minister. In 2016, when Dahal served as Prime Minister, the Department of Land Reform and Management (DOLRM) forwarded a letter to the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation seeking an exemption for the land registered under the name of Annapurna Farming. However, the Nuwakot Land Revenue Office halted the process, citing its inability to grant the exemption.
In June 2016, Bikesh Shrestha joined the company legally, fully aware that the land was under a land ceiling restriction. Evidence confirms his decision to enter the company with this knowledge. Documents state that Shrestha joined the company during Pushpa Kamal Dahal's tenure as Prime Minister, with the final share transactions also occurring under Dahal's leadership. Before this, the DOLRM had sent a letter regarding the ceiling exemption, and in August 2016, the Ministry of Land Management initiated discussions and advanced the process to grant the exemption, as revealed by an investigation conducted by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.
On June 17, 2016, authorities canceled the share registration, revealing that Bikesh Shrestha traded 567,500 shares for Rs 56.75 million. Before this, Annapurna Farming applied for a land ceiling exemption and recommended it to the ministry for approval while seeking suggestions, an investigating officer from the CIB stated. "The evidence clearly shows that the land was already under a land ceiling restriction and could not be transferred to a private company under any circumstances," he added. According to him, Pushpa Kamal Dahal served as the Prime Minister, and Bikram Pandey was the Minister for Land Management when the exemption letter reached the ministry and the process advanced.
Maoist Center Chairperson Dahal publicly claimed that people have created misconceptions about him regarding this matter. Addressing a warning assembly and a grand party entry program in Gaurigunj, Jhapa, on Monday, Dahal said, "People are deliberately trying to defame the Maoist party leadership by linking it to individuals who left the party 12–15 years ago in connection with the Shera Durbar land. If the land is public, bring it under government control immediately, and we will fully support the move. Otherwise, engaging in such targeted propaganda is meaningless."
Shera Durbar land case: Authorities to bring 164 ropanis under...
A Maoist leader from Nuwakot claims that the involvement of the Maoist Center Chairperson’s family is undeniable, as Bikesh Shrestha was a central committee member even when only 95 members attended the Chunwang meeting, and the farming entity was registered in the name of individuals actively involved in the underground Maoist movement. “No one could have exempted the Shera Durbar’s 184 ropanis of land from the land ceiling without powerful backing. While 164 ropanis of that land, currently under Annapurna Farming, should belong to the government, the private company still claims ownership. We have requested detailed investigations from various government agencies,” said an employee of the Land Revenue Office.
During the investigation of the land in 2022, when Dahal was Prime Minister, he halted the process, which only resumed after he lifted the obstruction. Recently, the CIB began an investigation after receiving a complaint from a nationalist youth group. Following the investigation, the CIB recommended transferring the 164 ropanis of land to the government's name and initiated further investigations into the group that attempted to transfer the land to a private company for sale.
CPN (Maoist Center) Spokesperson Agni Sapkota stated that the party will not object to legal action based on the facts and evidence that emerge from the investigation process. While sharing the party's stance on Facebook, he expressed serious concern over the publicity linking the party's Chairperson Dahal to the issue, stating that it has no basis or justification. Maoist leader Rajman Tamang from Nuwakot posted on social media that he knew the land was under a land ceiling and believes that any Maoist leader involved should face action.
The company's Director Manobal Shrestha said they were unaware the land belonged to the government because the land was registered under the name of Annapurna Farming. "We are looking at the ownership certificate, which is in the name of Annapurna Farming. If any action or investigation should take place, it should focus on who brought this certificate, but unfair news has been published about us," he said. Currently, another share is registered in the name of Ajay Kumar Suryabanshi for the land. He traded 460,410 shares for a value of Rs 46.04 million.
Similarly, Dhurba Lal Shrestha, residing in Bidur Municipality-4, Nuwakot, bought and sold 45,000 shares for Rs 4.5 million. Likewise, Suman Parik, residing in Nagarjun Municipality-7, Kathmandu, bought and sold 45,000 shares for Rs 4.5 million, among others, bringing the total share transactions to Rs 111.79 million, with the land registered in the company's name. As of November 26, 2023, Bikesh Shrestha and Ajay Kumar Suryavanshi remained involved, and Bikesh Shrestha's son, Manobal Shrestha, became a new shareholder, acquiring 90,000 shares worth Rs 9 million.
Currently, only three individuals hold the shares. The two Shresthas are father and son. This share purchase occurred while Dahal served as Prime Minister for the third time. Investigating officers argue that this cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. "In every way, it appears that the political power center has focused its attention on this land," said one of the CIB's investigating officers.
The CIB has corresponded with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to advance the investigation. CIB Chief AIG Deepak Thapa said they had sent a letter to the CIAA to further investigate the involvement of land revenue officials, the DOLRM, and employees working in the ministry at the time. The relevant ministry has already started the process to transfer the land to the government's name. On Sunday, the Ministry of Land Management and the Ministry of Home Affairs briefed Nepal Police on the matter. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak instructed the police to complete the investigation into the land belonging to the Shera Durbar case as soon as possible.
Land Management Minister Balram Adhikari announced that the department has already started reclaiming the land. He added that he has directed the Land Revenue Office and the department to take necessary actions. The CIB discovered that the land, under a land ceiling restriction and associated with Shera Durbar, should have been registered under the Government of Nepal but was privatized after being registered in the name of agricultural farming since 1978, prompting their investigation. The Nuwakot Land Revenue Office submitted all relevant details for the investigation on December 2, which the CIB used to conduct its inquiry.
