Surkhet Airport Expansion Sparks Uncertainty for Local Residents

Virendranagar Municipality-12, Surkhet, falls within the area directly affected by the expansion of the Surkhet Airport. When the process of expanding the runway to the north begins, Amarjyoti Secondary School will be the first to be affected, and my house is located near that school. The discussion about expanding the airport has been going on for a long time. While the talks about airport expansion continue, we local residents are in a state of great uncertainty.

Because we are in the affected area, we have been living in our old physical structures. We have faced significant problems from the state and local bodies in constructing new physical structures. My house is old. We had thought of building a new house somehow, but we haven't been able to build a new house due to concerns about problems arising from the airport expansion. At one point, the recommendation that should have been issued by the ward office was also stopped.

Our land was seized around Poush 077 BS. Perhaps due to widespread protest, the land was unfrozen after some time, but with political changes, the debate on airport expansion resurfaces. Recently, there have been talks that the state will acquire this land. We have not yet been informed clearly about this. For that reason, we have been in uncertainty for the last 6-7 years about whether to build new structures or not.

It would be a great relief to us locals if the state made a clear and concrete decision. If we are to be relocated from there, we could think about moving elsewhere. We could confidently focus on acquiring land and finding a new place. In the current situation, we are neither here nor there. We have a small plot of land and are living there. We are not wealthy families. I am just one representative among many. There are many people like me here. It is not easy to make a living in Virendranagar, and moving to a new place is not possible quickly. Even if we consider borrowing money to build structures, there is a fear of what will happen if the state acquires it later.

Some people are talking about the state acquiring the land. It is unclear how much compensation will be given. While the compensation provided by the state may be one thing, the rumor that the compensation rate will not be according to the market rate makes us even more worried.

Initially, when the land was seized, the locals protested together. The voices were raised that there would be great damage here, so a new airport should be built, and this one should be left as it is. After that, the municipality, listening to the public's concerns, made a recommendation to the province. Upon inquiring further up, it seemed like the airport construction and upgrade had been 'chapter closed'. Now, it seems the situation has changed again. We are not against development. Development is a continuous process. If the state wishes, and we have to move elsewhere for the country's development, we are willing, and we have no objection to that, but this process is only being stalled.

There is a situation where one party tries to do something, and another opposes it, and when another tries, yet another opposes it. We ordinary citizens have to live in fear due to the political stance of taking credit for the work.

There is no obstruction to this work from the level of ordinary citizens. The manipulation of uplifting and pushing people down has been done by the leaders themselves. When Mahendra Bahadur Shahi was the Chief Minister, I saw people from the opposition party (UML) inciting and provoking the local people there. At that time, the process of drone surveying and land seizure was moving forward, but people were going door-to-door saying, 'This should not happen,' in a way that seemed helpful but was an attempt to gain political credit. Now, again, UML's Chief Minister (Yam Lal Kandel) is in power, and his government has initiated the discussion of airport expansion. Now, again, people from other parties are seen opposing it. This is just a game by the top leaders to make it their election agenda and incite the public.

It seems like the leaders are using the airport as a means to serve their political interests. Instead of bringing new agendas, they have repeatedly caused hardship and stress to the public by bringing up the old issue of the airport. If you look at our houses, they have become dilapidated. We, who earn our living, have to think a lot even to invest one or two lakhs. Amidst this uncertainty, we have neither been able to expand our houses nor improve them. Everything is stalled due to the fear of whether the houses we built for residence will be safe.

If the airport were not to be expanded, we might have somehow built something new. Whichever government comes, they include the airport expansion in their policies, programs, and agendas. I have repeatedly gone to the Chief Minister's office and discussed this. Despite their verbal assurances, nothing has been implemented.

If the state wants to remove us from there, it must also be clear about the compensation. This is our ancestral settlement. It is natural for us to have affection and attachment to that place, but we are ready to set aside that affection for the sake of the country's development. We should be accommodated elsewhere in Virendranagar. If compensation is provided according to the market rate rather than the government rate, we will not be displaced from here. Our demand is that the state address our compensation issue in this manner.

It may be difficult for the state to arrange separate places for everyone according to their wishes, but we should not be displaced and sent to rural areas. The state should provide compensation based on the economic evaluation of the services and facilities we have been receiving and enjoying so far.

In conclusion, I want to say that this uncertainty must end. Either the state should immediately proceed with the airport expansion work and arrange for compensation, or it should halt this plan and allow us to build structures on our land and live without worry. Political parties should not make this merely a means for their self-interest and credit. Development that causes hardship and stress to the public is meaningless. We need a clear decision so that we can be assured about our future.

(Based on a conversation with Kriti Subedi, a local resident of Virendranagar Municipality-12, by Pankhabahadur Shahi for Ratopati)