CHITWAN: The sub-committee of the Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee under the Legislature Parliament has reported financial irregularities in the Nepal Oil Corporation land purchase deal in Chitwan district on Thursday.

Coordinator of the Committee and Parliamentarian Subash Chandra Shah Thakuri speaking at a meeting with the stakeholders after the field visit announced that the report will be furnished after the investigation into the case.

Earlier, the Sub Committee had directed the government to build seven oil depot storage capacity for at least three months. "Nepal Oil Corporation has violated the land acquisition act 2034 while purchasing the land in Rapti Municipality-1," Thakuri shared.

He further said after consultations with the stakeholders in the area, would furnish the report and anyone found guilty would be booked.

Rapti Municipality Maoyr Prabha Baral said that the current market value of the land was Rs 3,00,000 per Kattha however, NOC purchased the land around Rs 1.58 million.

"State coffer have been misused, agents and land owners have been pleased with the deal, however, the place itself is unsafe for the construction of the oil storage depot," Baral shared.

Rapti Municipality ward number 1 chairman Siddhi Lal Shyangtan said that the project is prone to the impending damage of Khare rivulet and probe should be launched into the deal as NOC had paid hefty sum. "The deal was made through local real estate agents before the local level representatives were elected in the local polls," Shyangtan lamented.

NOC had paid around Rs 750million to purchase 23 bigaha, 12 katta land on March 5 and July 11 2017 as recorded in the Land Survey Office at Khairane in Chitwan district.

Khairane Land Survey Office Chief Ramesh Prasad Bhattarai said the government rate of the land is around Rs 1,50,000 per katta in the area.

Chitwan Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta, who also remains as a coordinator of the land acquisition committee, said NOC had not consulted the District Administration Office while making the deal.

Bhatta further said that the deal had been made taking advantage of the local level elections and NOC had seriously violated the government's act on acquiring land deal.