Nepal, June 5 -- Former Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Trilochan Upreti, said that the proposal to grant Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurved Company Nepal permission to acquire land beyond the legal ceiling was driven by political directives and informal decisions made at the highest level.

In a statement given before the concerned authorities, Upreti claimed that the issue was brought before the Bill Committee of the Cabinet on February 1, 2010, where he was serving as the committee's secretary. The proposal, which sought to allow Patanjali to acquire land under Clause 12 of the Land Act 2021 BS, came with the condition that the land would be used solely for the stated purpose and could not be resold....