Koiralas’ property at sale threat

Shekhar Regmi / Manoj Shrestha

BIRATNAGAR: The Koirala residence — an integral part of the town's history for the past 120 years — may soon be consigned to oblivion.

This is largely because the present generation has started selling parts of the historic property, which is located in ward-9 of Biratnagar sub-metropolis. Of the 36 kattahs, nine has already been disposed of.

Family patriarch Krishna Prasad Koirala had purchased the land. Later, he equitably distributed the share — eight kattahs and 13 dhurs — among his sons BP, Keshav, Tarani and Girija Prasad Koirala around four decades ago.

But now, late BP's sons — Prakash, Shreeharsha and Shashank — have sold off the property to Birat Housing Service for Rs 50 million.

The housing company has already paid Rs 5 million in advance, and the rest is expected in another two months.

The company plans to rake a tidy profit out of the deal. “We will sell the land in small plots,” said Govinda Prasad Pokhrel, owner, Birat Housing Service. The land was registered in 1977 when Krishna Prasad Koirala's wife Divya passed away. Tarani's son Jyoti sold two kattahs in the northern part of the Koirala residence. A new construction has come up since then. Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala is against the move. “My nephews and nieces shouldn't do this. I shall take up the matter with them,” he said.

Amrit Aryal, president, Morang, Nepali Congress, said that if needed the party would buy the land. “We will not let the asset lose its historic identity,” he said.