Royal family 'shifts' to Nagarjun palace
A day after the government decided to nationalise seven royal palaces including the Narayanhiti palace, King Gyanendra moved to Nagarjun palace with his family on Friday.
A royal palace source however claimed that King Gyanendra and his family moved to Nagarjun palace as part of their vacation plan set weeks earlier and that their departure from Narayanhiti has nothing to do with yesterday's cabinet decision to bring the seven palaces under government ownership.
Nagarjun palace, northwestern suburb of Kathmandu, is known as a summer retreat of the royal family.
The palace source told Nepalnews that the King and his family are staying at Nagarjun for a month.
Thursday's government decision to nationalise the royal palaces and lands is seen as one of the boldest decisions taken in recent weeks by the interim government to clip the powers of the monarch. The Nayanhiti administration has not reacted to the latest government decision.
The five-member ministerial team headed by Home Minister Krishna Situala, which has been given 15 days to complete the task of nationalising the royal family's properties, has decided to register seven palaces in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Nuwakot, Gorkha and Lamjung districts. 1533 ropanies of land occupied by these palaces will also come under government ownership.
The committee has also decided to freeze the bank accounts of King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and Crown Prince Paras to stop transfer of late King Birendra and late Queen Aishwarya's money to them. nepalnews.com mk/dr Aug 24 07
Related news
- Seven royal palaces to come under govt ownership 
