The government has made it clear that there will be no administrative actions against those involved in Gyalpoizhing Land allotment. The government says the allotment took place a decade earlier under a different system.
The Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation in September had revealed that of the 99 plots allotted in Gyalpoizhing, 67 were illegal.
In the following month, the Office of Attorney General (OAG) sent out a report saying that there was no legal basis to pursue Gyalpoizhing land issue through court. The OAG said the allotments were done within the bounds of prevailing laws and practices which did not constitute a case of corruption under existing laws.
Instead OAG recommended administrative actions against the Chairmen and members of the land allotment committees because they did not strictly follow certain procedures or norms while allotting the lands.
But the government today said there will be no administrative actions against the people involved in land allotment including the Chairmen.
A press release from Prime Minister Office states that it is not practical and appropriate on a matter that took place under a different system a decade ago. It also says many of these committee members are no longer in public service and that the focus of current government is on preventing corruption during its own term and in the future.
Instead the cabinet has decided that the Prime Minister and the concerned ministers will voluntarily return to the government the lands allotted in their own or in names of their immediate relatives.
The press release goes on to day that the chairmen of the Committees have accepted moral responsibility for the decisions made by their committees. Land, if allotted to the immediate relatives of any chairmen, shall be restituted to the government as recommended by the ACC.
“Since no laws have been violated, all other recipients shall not be required to surrender their plots,” states the press release.
