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The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has come under scrutiny for leasing out large tracts of land at nominal rates to various agencies, raising suspicions of irregularities. 

Jagat Deuja, a member of the National Land Commission, said that the commission was currently examining a report prepared by the PADT regarding its land and property. The investigation includes a review of lands leased out to other agencies, as well as those that have been encroached upon.

One notable case involves the leasing of 1,161 ropanis to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for a 99-year contract. According to the agreement signed in 2017, TIA is required to pay Rs 10m annually to the PADT. Prior to this agreement, TIA was paying a meager amount equivalent to only one muri three pathis of paddy (approximately 80 kg) per ropani as leasing fee.

The Tilganga Eye Center is another entity that has taken five ropanis of land from PADT on a 49-year lease, with an annual leasing fee of Rs 40,000 per ropani. Although the lease agreement was signed in 2015, the center had been using the land even before that period.

In addition, the PADT has struggled to receive the leasing fee for one ropani of land being used by Gaushala Dharmashala which has been utilizing the land for over 80 years. The leasing contract with Gaushala Dharmashala was signed about 20 years ago, and as per the agreement, PADT is entitled to receive Rs 51,000 annually as leasing fee.

PADT’s land has also faced encroachment by various individuals and groups. Approximately 100 ropanis out of the total 534 ropanis of land in Gothatar have been encroached upon by so-called squatters. Additionally, there have been attempts by various groups to gain control of the land for operating sand quarries.

Tokha Municipality has dismantled illegal structures constructed by encroaching government and public lands.

The local government has launched a drive to demolish structures built unlawfully on public areas. 

Mayor Prakash Adhikari said that the local government had previously issued  public notices multiple times and held interactions  with the people responsible for encroaching on public land with a request to voluntarily remove illegal structures.

"We are compelled to bulldoze the structures as our calls for cooperation went unheard." 

The mayor stressed that public land must be under government protection and its use for personal interests is not permitted.

Police on Wednesday arrested an Indian national for his alleged involvement in robbing the NMB Bank in Mahottari Rural Municipality of Mahottari.

The arrestee has been identified as Ajay Kumar Safi (20) of Bihar.

Police said that he was a member of a group that robbed Rs 1.5 million from the NMB Bank.

He was apprehended from the Nepal-India border at Matihani-8 yesterday, DSP Dilip Kumar Giri, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Mahottari said.

Earlier on May 30, a group of four to five masked persons who came on motorbikes robbed the bank by taking the staffers and customers captive.

Police have been searching for the gang since the day the crime took place.

Meanwhile, police said that they identified the other accused in the crime and are intensely searching for them.

Inspector Prakash Malla said that they will be arrested soon.

Tension ran high in Bardibas-based Bardibas Hospital of Mahottari on Wednesday after a patient died during the course of treatment.

Hundreds of locals stage a demonstration saying that the patient died due to the negligence of the hospital.

A large number of security personnel has been deployed in and around the hospital to prevent any untoward incident.

Tension erupted after the locals tried to enter the hospital.

Umesh Kumar Mahato (36) of Bardibas Municipality-14 was taken to the hospital on the night of July 19 after he complained of chest pain.

Relatives of the deceased alleged that the condition of the patient became complicated after health workers on duty did not treat him properly.

After there was no improvement in the patient’s condition, he was taken to Kathmandu for treatment but breathed his last on the way.

Deceased’s brother Mahesh Kumar Mahato said that his brother died due to the negligence of the hospital.

“There was no doctor in the hospital during the night time. There was no medicine in the hospital either. The nurses delayed giving the medicines, brought from outside at the advice of the doctor, to the patient,” Mahesh said, adding, “Lab was also not open. We were forced to go outside after there was nothing in the hospital. Doctors took my brother’s life.”

He said that the hospital also did not inform them that the patient had a heart problem.

They have demanded that the doctors and nurses among others involved in the treatment of the patient should be punished.