A gas bottling plant has reportedly encroached upon 13 ropanis of land belonging to the Department of Roads (DoR) and parts of the forest land owned by Sutkeridhunka Community Forest in Baireni VDC-9, Dhading.

Raju Karakheti,chairman of Sutkeridhunka Community Forest, said Namaste Gas has taken over the land in collusion with Baireni VDC office without the consent from the DoR .

When the plant was set up three years ago, its owner had allegedly agreed to pay the VDC office Rs 10,000 monthly for using these land.

VDC Secretary Laxman Prasad Bhattarai confirmed the deal between the VDC office and Namaste Gas and said that the latter has not made the payment in two years.

He also claimed that the Namaste Gas owners have been pressing the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies for a permission to use the land without any payment.

Chief of Namaste Gas Surendra Kumar Phuyal was not available for comment.

An official at the Division Road Office of the DoR in Gajuri said the VDC office has no authority to lease out the property owned by the DoR.

If a lease agreement had taken place between Namaste Gas and Baireni VDC office, then both sides are liable for encroaching upon government property, the official added.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Bishwo Prakash Subedi has vowed to investigate the case.

On September 23, the District Forest Office had demolished the buildings of Radio Dhading and Sneha Kendra, a shelter for women, for encroaching upon the forest land owned by Amarawati Community Forest in Neelkantha Municipality.