Parliament asks government to nationalise King's property : Report

Kathmandu, Nov 5 (UNI) The parliamentary committee of Nepal has asked the government to nationalise the entire property, including 40,000 ropanis of land, belonging to King Gyanendra.

''King Gyanendra transferred the property of late King Birendra to his name and other royal family members, hence all the property owned by him and other members should be nationalised,'' Kantipur quoted the committee as saying.

The sub-committee of the Parliament's Natural Resources Committee, after completing its investigation, submitted the report headed by parliamentarian Prakash Jwala, urging the government to distribute the land, owned by the king, to landless peasants, it said.

King Gyanendra and his family members own 18 big companies and luxurious hotels at various locations in the country, according to the report.

The report on royal property prepared by the sub-committee revealed in late August that King Gyanendra had invested in big hotels, cigarette and biscuit factories, tea estates, travel companies and hydropower projects since he was the crown prince, the paper said.

''But the report stated that the King handed over the companies and hotels to other members of the royal family after he took direct power,'' it quoted the committee's report as saying.

Likewise, the King owns over 40,000 ropanis of land in different parts of the country, and other members of the royal family have an additional 4,000 ropanis, according to the committee report.

Nepal's parliament which was restored through the popular movement, had passed a resolution in May, cutting down all the powers of the monarch and disconnecting his links with the army and making drastic changes in the state affairs.

The King and his family members have to pay tax like ordinary citizens. However, the committee said that it was unable to locate the entire property of the Gyanendra.

UNI XC SI RN2237