NCP chair Dahal shows concern over Chepang people displaced from Kusumkhola

Kathmandu - Nepal Communist Party (NCP) chair and House of Representatives (HoR) member from the Chitwan constituency 3, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has instructed for the management of shelter for the Chepang people displaced from Kusumkhola of Madi in Chitwan. The former Prime Minister today telephoned Madi municipality mayor Thakur Dhakal and urged for the same.

The people of the indigenous community have become homeless after the Chitwan National Park (CNP) administration few days ago dismantled their homes and sheds. The area lies along the CNP buffer zone. The CNP administration has claimed that only machans and temporary huts meant for taking shelter during crops cultivation season were demolished and these were not their permanent shelter.

But the Madi municipality does not agree with this claim as it says only two families have their homes in other areas and the CNP forcefully set their shelter on fire. According to Dhakal, the leader from the constituency has asked him to immediately ensure shelter for the displaced, assuring of budget management toward that end. Madi is the part of Chitwan constituency 3.

The mayor promised to build houses for the displaced at Gaurigaun of Madi municipality-7 within a month. Dahal's daughter, Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Renu Dahal, reached the area after Kusumkhola incident and enquired information about it. She said, "The incident is very sad. Chair Dahal has expressed concern on it.

" Chair Dahal has already asked Mayor Dhakal to make immediate arrangement of shelter to the displace people, added Mayor Dahal. Former Prime Minister Dahal, who arrived Chitwan few days ago to know the condition flood victims and encroachment of Narayani river, had also visited flood affected people of Madi municipality. Madi municipality has started initiative to remove human settlements of the municipal area from buffer zone after conflict between Chitwan National Park and people started increasing.

All area of Madi municipality lies in buffer zone. The municipality started removing all areas except more than 25 per cent area linked with Chitwan National Park from buffer zone. The municipality has started this initiative after it became compulsory to take permission from the park office for undertaking every development construction works and for using the natural resources in the buffer zone. The Madi Municipality is surrounded by the park.