The government’s inability to ensure even basic food, healthcare, and education for displaced landless squatters—despite its own assurances of rehabilitation and protection—has deepened a crisis of trust and fuelled growing resentment. When unauthorised settlements along riverbanks and other areas in the Kathmandu Valley were cleared, the authorities had announced that proper arrangements would be made for the affected families’ food and shelter. Trusting these assurances, several displaced families agreed to move into government-designated holding centres, even in inconvenient locations. However, once relocated, the state’s attention appears to have gradually faded, leaving them in neglect. The recent suspension of food supplies at the Radhaswami Satsang Holding Centre in Kirtipur is the latest and most troubling example. With no food arrangements in place since Monday morning, residents have been left increasingly frustrated and disheartened. For the past one and a half months, meals had been provided in coordination with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. However, as the federal government has yet to take a concrete decision on funding, the metropolitan-run canteen discontinued its service from Sunday evening, citing financial strain and unsustainability. As a result, residents went without food on Monday morning.
Three-day deadline set to identify critical gaps and mobilise r...
While alternative arrangements may eventually be made by either the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) or the federal government, such lapses expose a deeper problem of administrative irresponsibility. Even a single missed meal has been enough to erode trust further among displaced families, reinforcing their belief that rehabilitation commitments are not being taken seriously. Parents were particularly distressed by the absence of prior notice, with children forced to attend school on empty stomachs. Many residents have also criticised the state’s dependence on donors and social organisations for basic meal provision instead of establishing a stable, institutional system of support. Beyond food insecurity, concerns over the neglect of elderly people and patients suffering from serious illnesses—including heart, liver, lung diseases, and cancer—have intensified frustration. Residents recall the death of Bhesh Raj Darji, who was displaced from Shantinagar and reportedly died after failing to receive timely food and medical care, as a painful reminder of the consequences of systemic neglect.
Conditions at the holding centres themselves have also drawn criticism, particularly the lack of safe accommodation, privacy, and hygienic sanitation facilities, which has had severe physical and psychological impacts on women, children, and senior citizens. These cumulative grievances have led displaced families to warn that they may return to their original settlements if dignified rehabilitation is not ensured within a week. While it may not be realistic for the government to fulfil all demands within such a short timeframe, it can and must demonstrate greater seriousness toward its own commitments. At a minimum, it should ensure that no displaced citizen is left without food or basic care, and send a clear signal that the state will not abandon those in distress. A practical starting point would be to institutionalise uninterrupted food provision, healthcare services, and educational support for children in holding centres. Simultaneously, the government must develop and implement a credible rehabilitation plan in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, if it is to restore public trust and uphold its responsibility to vulnerable citizens.
