PARASI: In a blatant violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Unified CPN-Maoists is yet to return the land it had seized to the rightful tenants.

All Nepal Farmers' Union Revolutionary (2007), a Maoist organisation, had seized 1 bigha 17 kattha of land from late Buddhi Prasad Upadhyaya of Betani in Makar VDC and given to the Maoist cadres for use.

Ramdhani Kewat, a central member of the Union, claimed the seized land had been given to more than a dozen local poor. However, the locals alleged that Kewat was lying and had actually given it to Maoists cadres for use.

Kewat also added that though the Maoists had seized 7,000 bighas of land during the war, they now have the control over just two places. The Union had also claimed that the land was seized as Upadhyaya had no any close relatives to inherit it and the land was being used by a local landlord.

The land which was later registered to Laxmi Pahari of Sunawal, had been paid an advance of Rs 500,000 by one Bhim Poudel of Jamuniya.

Of late, it has now been made public that the land is actually under Union's control.

Likewise, the Maoists have continued to seize 3.10 bigha and 7 dhur land belonging to Dhruba Baniya of Jamuniya VDC since long.

The former rebels have hoisted their flag on the land they had forcefully occupied.

Rameshwor Choudhari had earlier filed a writ under pressure for selling the land in cheap prices to Baniya. Choudhari maintains that though he had registered the land in the name of Baniya, at a price tag of Rs 1.3 million, he had only received Rs 650,000.

Meanwhile, Kewat said that an agreement was reached in an all- party meeting, in the presence of the local administration, that the land would be returned to Choudhari on the condition that he returns Rs 1.3 million to the Maoists. "We have not seized the land; we have just brought land under control," he added.

Though the UCPN-Maoist had agreed in principle to return all the seized lands, political parties at the local level said they hadn't.