Simltar Residents in Makwanpur Demand Land Ownership Deeds Ahead of Elections

Makwanpur. Landless squatters in Simaltar, located 3 kilometers west of Hetauda market area, are promised land ownership certificates (Lalpuja) by political parties and candidates in every election.

Elections come and go, but they neither receive the Lalpuja nor the right to occupy the land they reside on. Simaltar, Ward No.-11 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, the capital of Bagmati Province, is the largest settlement area with over 2,300 households.

The residents here do not possess Lalpuja for the land they occupy. This problem is not new. Their long-standing issue shows no sign of resolution.

Simaltar has paved roads, drinking water, electricity, and drainage systems, but due to the lack of Lalpuja, locals cannot use their property as collateral for loans. Residents of Simaltar, located in the heart of the Bagmati Province capital, have been waiting for Lalpuja for three decades. Their question to every party and candidate during every election remains the same: 'When will we get the Lalpuja for the land we live on?'

As the House of Representatives election nears, candidates are visiting every neighborhood to seek votes, but in Simaltar, every candidate who comes to ask for votes is immediately confronted by locals asking, 'Where is our Lalpuja?'

The Simaltar settlement, which began in 1995 (2052 BS Jestha 6) with 1,700 families settling in huts after arriving from various places, has now become a residential area for over 2,300 households. With such a large population in a single locality, this area is considered a 'vote bank' for Makwanpur Constituency No.-2.

Locals, having gone through four elections, have heard and read many manifestos before, but their demand remains the same—Lalpuja.

According to local Ram Bahadur Thing, candidates promise Lalpuja in every election but never deliver. He stated that even when candidates promise to work towards providing Lalpuja during election time, the results are never achieved.

This time, the Simaltar Toll Development Committee and the National Land Rights Forum Nepal are meeting with candidates and party leaders visiting the area to submit letters of attention. They state that the question of 'Why haven't we received Lalpuja? When will we receive it?' will no longer be limited to just an election agenda.

'We receive assurances from candidates in every election. They promise that if we elect them, the work will get done, but after the election, no one looks back. Now, we need a clear action plan,' he said. 'We will vote for whoever guarantees or presents a basis for providing the Lalpuja,' he added.

According to local Laxmi Bishwakarma, she has lived in Simaltar for 30 years. Development infrastructure has been built, but the land has not been registered in their names. 'How long will we remain landless? We have lived here for 30 years. Roads came, electricity came, water came, but the land deed did not come. Now, we will vote for those who provide the Lalpuja,' she said.

This time, the Simaltar Toll Development Committee and the National Land Rights Forum Nepal are meeting with candidates and party leaders visiting the area to submit letters of attention. They state that the question of 'Why haven't we received Lalpuja? When will we receive it?' will no longer be limited to just an election agenda.

Govinda Prasad Neupane, the City Chairman of the National Land Rights Forum Nepal and a resident of Simaltar, stated that they are seeking commitments from candidates by capitalizing on the House of Representatives election opportunity. He mentioned that candidates including Budhha Lama (Congress, Constituency No.-2), Maheshwar Bartaula (UML), Ram Bahadur Thokar (Rastriya Prajatantra Party), Labhshere Bista (CPN-Maoist Centre), and Santosh Bista (Loktantrik Samajwadi Party) have so far committed to taking initiatives for obtaining Lalpuja.

Similarly, candidates from Constituency No.-1, including Mahalakshmi Upadhyaya 'Dina' (Congress), Rameshwor Rana (UML), Bijay Gautam (CPN-Maoist Centre), Deepak Bahadur Singh (RPP), and candidates from other parties, have stated that resolving the problem of the landless is a priority for them. They have committed to moving the Lalpuja distribution process forward quickly and transparently.

Out of 44 candidates competing in Makwanpur's two constituencies this time, the electoral debate in Simaltar is centered entirely on Lalpuja, rather than other development agendas. This settlement, which began in 1995 (2052 BS), has now become a decisive voter group in Constituency No.-2.

As locals face legal and financial insecurity due to the lack of formal ownership of the land they have occupied for years, candidates visiting Simaltar have started publicly presenting their action plans and commitments to resolve the issues in obtaining land ownership certificates, following increased pressure right before the election. Locals believe this creates pressure to move the long-standing issue towards an institutional solution.

According to Devkrishna Thokar, Chairman of the Simaltar Toll Development Committee, the process has stalled due to legal complexities related to buffer zones, reserves, and forest areas. However, he believes that if the elected Member of Parliament takes the initiative, their demands can be addressed, even if it requires amending the law.

'The families residing here must be managed, even if it requires amending the law. The MP elected from here must raise our issue strongly in the Parliament,' he said.

Meanwhile, Arjun Chaulagai, an expert member of the Land Problem Resolution Commission, Makwanpur, stated that about 2700-2800 files from the Simaltar area have been registered with the commission. Among these, about 1100 are files belonging to landless Dalits and squatters. He mentioned that about 600 files have been authenticated by the ward office.

'Land measurement is complete. The Lalpuja distribution process is in the procedural stage. The process has been delayed due to a lack of coordination between the ward and the municipality, but Simaltar residents will soon receive their land ownership certificates,' he said.