The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has directed the government to seize land owned by individuals, breaching the land ceiling. The anti-graft body asked the Ministry of Land Reform and Management to implement the directives immediately.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the CIAA said its probe had found that huge chunks of land are in possession of individuals, breaching the ceiling set by the Nepal Land Reform Act-1964.

It said that a total of 5,223 bighas in Tarai and 6,265 ropanis in the Hills were possessed illegally. The constitutional body also directed the government to immediately implement the report prepared by the commission led by Ram Bahadur Rawal, which suggested that huge chucks of land including in the Valley were taken by numerous persons.

The Rawal Commission formed in 1995-96 had pointed that as much as 1,800 ropani of land was encroached upon in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City alone.

As per the Land Reform Act, a person can hold up to 10 bigha land in Tarai and inner Tarai. The ceiling for Kathmandu Valley is 25 ropanis, while it is 70 ropanis elsewhere in the Hills.

The directives were issued a day after the CIAA asked the government to attach property owned by Jagadamba Databya Aushadhalaya (JDA) and Madan Dhara Samiti (MDS) across the country. The CIAA on Wednesday said 48 bigha, 12 kattha and 8 dhur land in Dulari VDC of Morang in the name of Aushadhalaya and 53 ropani, 13 ana and 3 paisa land in Niguradin VDC of Taplejung district bought by Kamal Mani Dixit in the name of JDA and MDS were transferred to the company registered on April 17, 2014. Changing the status of the charitable organisation to a company was against the spirit and objective of the JDA and MDS, the CIAA claimed.

The CIAA also said it had written to the government on May 29 to take necessary action against Kanak Mani Dixit and Kunda Dixit for “concealing” 17 ropanis and 13 ana land that was above the ceiling.