Before the land case of Giribandhu Tea-Estate in Jhapa could not be settled, it has been revealed that the land purchased in the name of Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company in Kavre in excess of the limit has been embezzled. In January 2066, the then Council of Ministers gave permission to buy 815 ropani land in Banepa. However, within two and a half months after permission was given to sell the land, 353 plantations were sold.  In this way, the land that was bought at a limited discount to run an Ayurveda farm is now being plotted with a dozer.

Kantipur has received the government document along with the decision of the Cabinet, according to which Patanjali was allowed to buy 815 ropani land in Banepa to run Ayurvedic University, Research Center, Yogashala, Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Industry and cow farm and grow herbs. 

^{The decision of the Council of Ministers to approve Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurvedic Company to sell and lease more land than the limit .}

Out of 593 ropani bought under discount facility, 353 ropani were sold within two and a half months. After selling the land for plotting, the company bought 88 ropani at Dhulikhel at 1 paisa 1 daam, Patanjali Center is being operated only on that land.

The law prohibits the illegal use, exchange or sale of exempted land. However, a decade and a half ago, the Madhav Nepal-led cabinet had given permission to buy more land than the limit and sell it within two and a half months. During this process, Land Reforms Minister Dambar Shrestha, Secretary Chhabiraj Pant and Deputy Secretary Hupendramani KC were present. At this time, they were also the decision-makers when the land of Lalita Niwas was expropriated to expand the Prime Minister's residence. According to the case filed by the authority in the Lalita residence case, the special court has convicted them. 

^{Patanjali Yogpeeth bought the land in Sanga of Kavre 15 years ago with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur}

Patanjali is the company of Indian yoga guru Ramdev. In Nepal, Patanjali is registered as a non-profit trust of Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company. It seems that Yogi Ramdev, Balakrishna Acharya, Shaligram Singh, Rajendra Singh and Umesh Sarraf are the directors of this company, which was registered on 20th December 2064 with the address of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-7 Buddh. Shaligram Singh has been working as the Hartakarta of the company and it seems that the transaction was done through him when land was bought and sold in 2066.

The fifth amendment of the Land Act, 2021, which was amended in 2058, set the limits of 11 bighas in the Terai region, 25 ropani in Kathmandu and 75 ropani in the hilly areas. However, according to the Eighth Amendment (2076), a person can currently hold up to 10 bighas in Terai and Inner Madhesh, 25 plantations in Kathmandu Valley and 70 plantations in hilly areas. A person or his family can keep 1 bigha in terai and inner Madhesh, 5 ropani in Kathmandu valley and 5 ropani in hilly areas except the valley, if needed for household purposes. However, there is a provision to buy land from the government with a limited discount after confirming the need to operate industries/businesses/organizations. 

The cabinet meeting on 18th January 2066 allowed the purchase of 815 saplings with the condition of opening the industry, but Patanjali purchased 593 saplings at 5 annas 1 price 1 paise in former Nasikasthan (Sanga) and Mahendrajyoti gavis and Chalal Ganesh Sthan (currently Banepa municipality). had done However, within two and a half months, on Chait 6, the Council of Ministers had given permission to sell 353 ropani land. 

^{Patanjali Yogpeeth bought the land in Sanga of Kavre 15 years ago with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur}

Patanjali seems to have used political and administrative power to get this decision from the cabinet. On February 17, 2066, Singh, the owner of Patanjali Nepal, wrote a letter to the then Minister of Land Reforms, Shrestha, to sell the land he had bought at a limited discount. He has written in the letter that there is a private settlement around the land and that there is an obstacle to buy the land as requested. The ministry rushed through the process without questioning why these issues were not considered when the land was purchased only two months ago.

^{Shaligram Singh, the owner of Patanjali Nepal, wrote a letter to the then Land Reforms Minister Dambar Shrestha and Minister Shrestha's statement.}

In Singh's letter, Minister Shrestha gave a specific order to the then Secretary Pant to 'take necessary action'. According to the instructions of Secretary Pant, the draft prepared by Deputy Secretary Hupendramani KC on Chait 1, 2066 reached Secretary Pant through the Department of Land Administration. On the basis of this proposal which was approved by the Secretary and the Minister, the Council of Ministers approved the sale of the land on 6th Chait, 2066. In the decision, it was said, "Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal will be given permission to sell land in excess of the limit and enter the land for speculation." 

Based on the cabinet decision, Patanjali had signed an agreement to give 400 ropani land to Kasthamandap Business Homes at the rate of 1 lakh rupees per ropani. It has been confirmed that 353 saplings have been bought and sold. Although tax was paid at the rate of one lakh rupees on the property, in the mutual document it is written that the sale was made at the rate of one million rupees. Plotting is done on this land now. 

There is a law that if the land exempted from restriction is not used according to the terms and conditions of the agreement, the Supreme Court has also made this issue clear in the decision regarding Giribandhu T-Estate. The Supreme Court has ruled that even if the land is misused/encumbered or kept barren, the government should bring the land in its name.

^{Patanjali Yogpeeth bought the land in Sanga of Kavre 15 years ago with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur}

The then Director General of Land Reforms and Management Department, Keshar Bahadur Baniyan, raised questions that there was no legal basis in the decision of the Council of Ministers, saying that land cannot be sold against the purpose for which the exemption was granted. Addressing the Ministry of Land Reforms on 17 Chait 2066, he asked for a further explanation of the decision given by the Council of Ministers to sell the land. "... Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company will adopt which and what strategy to implement the approval given to purchase land elsewhere instead of the previous one?" The legal basis for that has not been disclosed," the letter said, "Similarly, what amount and how much land is meant by land equal to the amount received from the land to be sold? How much is the old land sold for? How to be sure? Also, since it is written in the received letter that the Bill of 18th of January 2066 is subject to the decision of the committee, if the decision is known, it would be appropriate to proceed accordingly, so it is requested to get instructions on all the mentioned matters.

^{The then Prime Minister of Nepal laid the foundation stone of Patanjali in Dhulikhel on Chait 18, the day after the Department of Land Reforms and Management wrote a letter to the Ministry saying that there was no legal basis. Yogi Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna also came from India.} 

When asked why Patanjali was given permission by the Cabinet to buy land and sell it immediately, the then Prime Minister of Nepal responded that he did not remember it because it was an old matter. "I don't know anything about what you did. Even if the decision to open the industry was made with good intentions, I don't remember exactly that,' Nepal said to Kantipur, 'If it was illegal, it would have been canceled by the government.' Action was taken. The Council of Ministers on 26 Chait 2066 decided to seek an explanation from the Director General Baniyan saying that the decision of the Council of Ministers was raised against the official position. The very next day, Secretary Pant asked Bania for an explanation within 24 hours.

Patanjali Yogpeeth bought the land in Sanga of Kavre 15 years ago with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur

'The responsibility to implement the decision made by the Bill Committee and Cabinet meeting of the Council of Ministers lies with you (Director General), without taking the necessary steps to implement the decision, without taking the necessary steps to implement the decision, there is also a legal basis to challenge the decision made by the Council of Ministers on Chait 6, 2066. Because of the demand, he went against the organizational promotion and official dignity by being in a dignified and responsible position like the Director General, and by correspondence in the ministry, it was seen that he acted contrary to the Civil Service Act (Section 42-2 of 2049), why did such an act against the organizational promotion and official dignity? Why not prosecute you for this? According to the decision of the Council of Ministers dated 26 Chait 2066, it is requested to submit an explanation within 24 hours from the date of receipt of this letter," the letter said. 

^{In addition to the decision to ask the Baniyan for an explanation, the Council of Ministers also made a decision to "instruct the department again" to implement the decision to approve the sale of demarcated land. But even after the second letter, Baniyan sent a reply to the ministry saying that the decision against the law will not be implemented. He was removed from the post of director-general after the reply was not satisfactory. Joint Secretary Jit Bahadur Thapa was made the director general of the department on the choice of the then Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire and Land Reforms Secretary Pant. On March 27, the day after Thapa became the director general, the department had written to the land office Kavre to open the way for the sale of demarcated land to Patanjali.} 

Coincidentally, three days after the second letter was sent to Patanjali to allow the sale of illegally demarcated land, the cabinet decided to hand over Lalita Niwas in Baluwatar and the government land in question to land mafia. The decision taken by the Council of Ministers on Chait 29, 2066 regarding Lalita Niwas is illegal and the special court has convicted the staff involved in the decision process on February 3. 

The proposal submitted by the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management to the Council of Ministers for decision. 

Malpot Kavre also sent a letter to the department on May 17, 2067, saying that it would be difficult to sell restricted land against the terms, contracts and land laws. Janardan Guragain, the then chief land officer of Kavre, sent a letter to the department explaining that there is no assurance of buying land equal to the amount received from the limited exemption land and the reason for the amount received from the sale of land is also not certain amount. 

^{Patanjali Yogpeeth bought the land in Sanga of Kavre 15 years ago with the decision of the Council of Ministers. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur}

Director General Thapa wrote a letter to the Ministry of Land Reforms on June 3 asking for more clarity on the issue of Kavre Malpot. 8 days after that, on June 11, Secretary Pant gave a specific order through the Secretary-level decision to pass documents from the company so that the sale/hypothecation can be done within a period of 5 years. On the same day, the letter with this statement was sent to the department. From this decision of Secretary Pant, Patanjali sold the land exempted from limitation. 

^{The proposal sent by the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.}

Regarding the incident 15 years ago, the then Director General of Land Reforms Department, Banian, responded that he was removed from the responsibility by asking for an explanation because he refused to make an illegal decision. Banian said to Kantipur, "Restricted concession land cannot be used or sold contrary to the conditions and agreements. If that happens, the government will have to confiscate the restricted concession land from the relevant company and bring it to the government's name," Baniyan said to Kantipur. I mentioned the subject. However, as long as I remained in the department, this plan was not seen to be successful and was removed after asking for an explanation and making a decision on their own plan.'