The holy Bhagirathi River, now known as Banganga River that flows from Tilaurakot, the ancient capital of Shakya kings, was sold to individuals, The Rising Nepal reported Monday.

Lord Buddha was born to the Shakya kings who ruled Kapilvastu, Tilaurakot and other states in vicinity.

The sale of river was revealed 30 years after the river was sold. Records at the district land revenue office showed that an area covering 62 bigahas of the river was sold to three individuals in 1981, according to the state-owned English Daily.

The truth was exposed after the individuals claimed their rights to use the land and obstructed the District Development Committee Kapilvastu when it tried to contract out the river areas.

The 1971 map of district land survey office, Kapilvastu, clearly shows plot number 548 of Motipur "Kha" lying completely in Banganga River and plot number 547 as the river bank.

According to the district land survey office, the two plots have been sold to 36 different individuals since 1981. The plot number 548 of the river had been further divided into 35 plots and sold.

The district land revenue office said that the then land revenue Chief Sete Gharti had registered the plot jointly in the names of Nilkumari Upadhayayani, Govinda Prasad Poudel and Dharmaraj Upadhaya.

The plot has been divided and sold to different people since then, said Shankar Subedi, chief of the district land revenue office.

Local Bhola Acharya told the daily that the Banganga Crusher and New Banganga Crusher are currently in operation in the river area while some people have deposited the land in the banks and have managed to get huge amount of loans.

The locals alleged that the land was registered to the individuals by bribing former chief Gharti. nepalnews.com