Sankhuwasabha, Jan 9:

At a time when the CPN-Maoist is being criticised for not returning seized land and property to the owners on time, Maoists in the district today provided paddy to a farmer whose land was seized by the party six years before.

Maoist cadres had forcefully seized the land of Bishnu Maya Gurung in Madi Mulkharka VDC-5

in 2003. They were also using the produce from the land for their own purposes. However, the Maoists did a U-turn and handed over 36 muris of paddy produced in the seized land to Gurung’s family today.

“I got 36 muris of paddy in return of the contract of the land today. A local Maoist cadre Nanda Kumar Ghimire asked me to take the paddy,” Bishnu Maya Gurng said.

This is the first instance that the Maoists provided produce from the land seized by them in the district to the owner, locals said. The Maoists have been insisting that they will not return the seized land and properties until the implementation of Revolutionary Land Reforms Act.

Though the Maoists have provided harvest from the land to Gurung’s family, they have kept mum about returning the land to the family so far.