Compensate owners of demolished homes: Politicians

KATHMANDU, March 18: The Legislature-Parliament Committee on Development on Sunday directed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works to provide compensation to people whose houses were demolished during road widening drive in the capital.



The Committee summoned representatives of the ministry, The Department of Roads, Kathmandu Metropolitan and City Development Committee to discuss issues surrounding the aggressive road expansion. [break]



The expansion drive, based on the 2033 BS standards, has triggered a debate in different fronts as it involves demolition of private houses and other structures reportedly in breach of the standards.



Meanwhile, RSS reports that Lawmakers and officials concerned had a heated debate over the road expansion drive.



The discussions took a nasty turn soon after Bhaikaji Tiwari, Planner at Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee, said that the land encroachers were knocking on the doors of politicians to protect their houses at a time when the committee was expediting the road expansion works.







Tiwari said his team was facing difficulties to demolish structures that were erected by encroaching government land as encroachers with the backing by the politicians were putting pressure on officials.



But lawmaker Rama Duragain came down heavily on Tiwari, saying it was shameful for civil servants to target politicians even as they are paid from the taxes collected from the people. She said, "We support your campaign if you demolish illegally constructed structures. We are people´s representatives and it´s our responsibility to support locals during their time of suffering. Civil servants don´t need to teach us in such things."



Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hridayesh Tripathi said the government was ready to provide compensation based on legal provision. "But compensation cannot be provided just by asking," he added. Tripathi said people in some parts of the city had helped make the roads wider while in other places they were obstructing the government drive. He also informed the meeting that the campaign had started in other cities as well.



Lawmakers Narahari Acharya, Krishna Prasad Sapkota, Jiban Prem Shrestha, Harilal Thapa Magar, Yam Lal Kandel, Lalita Tingring and others also sought compensation. RSS

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