SC annuls govt decision to swap land with Giri Bandhu Tea Estate

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has annulled the government’s decision to exchange the land belonging to Giri Bandhu Tea Estate with government-owned land.

The constitutional bench, comprising Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha and Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakash Man Singh Raut, Sapana Pradhan Malla, and Sushma Lata Mathema, deemed the decision of the KP Sharma Oli-led government to swap cheaper land of Giribandhu Tea Estate for more expensive government land as immature and scrapped it.

“Since the government’s offer to provide 343 bigha, 19 katthas, and 12 dhur of land to Giri Bandhu Tea Estate in exchange for the tea estate’s land as immature and contrary to The Lands Act, 2021, the decision and any actions taken based on it have been annulled by an order of certiorari,” reads the court’s order.

The apex court was hearing separate writ petitions filed by Bhaktaraj Bharati, Om Prakash Mishra, Om Prakash Aryal, and others.