KATHMANDU: The parliamentary Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee has directed the government to halt the land swap of Giribandhu Tea Estate in Jhapa.

The committee’s meeting held Tuesday directed the government not to implement previous government’s decision to allow the tea estate to swap some 280 bigha land. The previous government led by KP Oli amended the Land Act to facilitate land swap for Giribandhu Tea Estate.

The tea estate is trying to swap its land in Birtamod, the valuation of which stands at Rs 200 million per bigha, with low-priced land in Prithvinagar, Jhapa.

The meeting also directed to submit the details of the land of the tea estate by mid-September.