King Gyanendra moves to Nagarjun palace

A day after the government decided to nationalise seven royal palaces, including the Narayanhiti palace, where King Gyanendra and his family lived, the Royal family has shifted to Nagarjun palace.

Kathmandu, Aug 24 : A day after the government decided to nationalise seven royal palaces, including the Narayanhiti palace, where King Gyanendra and his family lived, the Royal family has shifted to Nagarjun palace.

However, sources close to the Royal palace claimed that King Gyanendra has moved to Nagarjun palace for vacation, planned weeks earlier and had nothing to do with Thursday's Cabinet decision.

Nagarjun palace, a northwestern suburb of Kathmandu, is known as a summer retreat of the royal family.

The King and his family are staying at Nagarjun for a month, Nepalnews quoted sources, as saying.

A Cabinet meeting on Thursday, approved the recommendation of a ministerial committee set up to nationalise the royal properties.

The palaces that came under Government care include the sprawling Nayanhiti royal palace, where King Gyanendra and his family live, and the Hanumandhoka Durbar, a tourist attraction in Central Kathmandu, reported Nepalnews.

Besides, 1533 ropanies of land under the palace will also come under the government's ownership.

The committee has also decided to freeze the bank accounts of King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and Crown Prince Paras to stop transfer of money from the accounts of late King Birendra and late Queen Aishwarya.

The Sitaula committee set up on Monday by the Cabinet has been given 15 days time to complete its task of nationalising royal properties.

ANI