Govt to identify real squatters and evict them

KATHMANDU, Jan 11: The government will evict the squatters who have encroached on the land along the riverside in Kathmandu after identifying them in seven days.



A meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar with various stakeholders - officials from environment ministry, land reforms ministry, physical planning ministry, secretaries from various ministries, officials from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and chiefs of security agencies - took a decision to this effect.[break]



“The government will remove the landless squatters after the Physical Planning Ministry issues a final notice of seven days to identify them,” said Tulsi Sitaula, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works.



The Ministry for Physical Planning and Works, as decided on Tuesday, will issue a final notice of seven days on Thursday to identify real landless squatters. Following the decision, all squatters residing along the riverside in the country will have to submit their residential details to the ministry.







Situala said the government will provide alternatives to real squatters but confirmed that providing housing for them in Kathmandu is not possible.



Figures provided by the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization reveals that about 2,800 squatter households comprising 10,500 individuals have been living on the banks of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Manohara and Dhobikhola rivers in the capital.



The figures also show that squatters have encroached on 1,500 ropanis (76.31 hectares) of land - from Shankhamul to Teku - that was supposed to be part of the UN Park.



The first phase of eviction of squatters will be initiated from the Bagmati river, chief of High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization who was also present in the meeting, said.

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