Locals Protest Eviction from Motipur Industrial Area

Butwal. Bhim Bahadur Ghimire of Dhandhapur, Butwal Sub-Metropolis-18, is currently in a state of uncertainty and worry. He has been operating 'Gita Poultry Farm' for the past five years and recently expanded his business by taking a loan. Currently, there are about 500 chickens in the old shed, and a new shed with a capacity to house 1,000 chickens has been constructed. He started the poultry farm commercially in 2077 BS on land where his father had been farming since 2036 BS. However, he is in trouble after the Industrial Area Management Limited recently sent a letter with instructions to remove structures within the Motipur Industrial Area. 'I have already ordered and paid for an additional one thousand chicks,' Ghimire said, 'Bringing the chicks has been stopped due to the rumors of vacating the land.' He is worried that he will be drowned in debt if he has to remove them midway, as it takes at least three months for the chicks to grow. He complained that his future has become uncertain as the approximately 4 katthas of land he is using is his main source of livelihood. Om Lal Ghimire, 81, from the same area, is also worried. He migrated from Poudi, Gulmi, in 2020 BS and is hoping to get a land ownership certificate, but the talk of eviction has increased his stress. Local panic spread after the Industrial Area Management Limited issued a letter on Baisakh 14, 2083 BS, instructing the removal of settlements and other structures within the Motipur Industrial Area in Rupandehi. Residents of Ranigunj, Hariharpur in Butwal-17 and Dhandhapur, Sauraha, etc., in Ward-18, have become angry and terrified. Sunita Raskoti, coordinator of the Namaste Toll Development Organization of Butwal-17, said that the locals are in confusion after the notice to vacate the industrial area was made public. 'There seemed to be some understanding before,' she said, 'but the locals have become terrified and angry as the letter was made public without any information. First settlement, then land ownership certificate in the name of industrial area The Federal Government, with the aim of expanding industrial areas in various provinces of the country, declared a provincial-level industrial area in 2073 BS, and a proposal was made to build a large industrial area in Motipur, Rupandehi. Although about 813 bighas of land were allocated for the industrial area, there was already a dense settlement in that area. Since the settlement was far away, the Butwal Industrial Area Management Limited stated that the plan was to proceed with work initially from Block B, dividing it into blocks A, B, C, and D. In the last few months, the construction of an industrial area has started on about 260 bighas of land in the areas of Ranigunj, Hariharpur, Dhandhapur, and Sauraha, which fall under Block-2B, Butwal Sub-Metropolis-17 and 18. However, locals who have been living in these areas for years are in fear of displacement. According to local youth Tankaprakash Neupane of Ranigunj, the area falling within the industrial area not only has settlements but also government schools, playgrounds, and markets. 'It is the government's weakness not to be able to provide land ownership certificates to citizens who have been living here for years, but it is unjust to try to remove them all of a sudden,' he said. Motipur local Baburam Ghimire said that the industrial area should be developed on the basis of agreement rather than removing citizens who have been living there since 2020 BS. According to him, although there was an agreement between the local level, the industrial area management, and the residents for co-existence and development, panic has spread after the sudden eviction notice. Meanwhile, locals have formed the 'Sukumbasi Basti Bachau Sangharsha Samiti' (Landless Settlement Protection Struggle Committee) and started protests. Locals have become agitated after the Industrial Area Management Limited in the Motipur area sent letters and bulldozers were used in various places. Committee coordinator Chhabi Raskoti said that a memorandum has been submitted to local, provincial, and federal representatives to stop the attempt to remove settlements using bulldozers. He had previously warned that further protest programs would be announced if the government did not listen. According to him, in the Ranigunj area of Butwal-17, which falls within the Motipur Industrial Area, there are about 2,700 small and large houses and huts alone. Locals are demanding that the industrial area be developed while preserving the settlements, while the government is prioritizing the expansion of industrial infrastructure. This has led to a conflict between development and residents' rights in the Motipur area, as in the past. The foundation stone was laid amidst controversy in 2077 BS, where locals also threw stones, and in Bhadra 2078 BS, 4 people died in clashes when those occupying the land were removed. What is the implementing body doing? According to Deepak Acharya, chief of Butwal Industrial Area Management Limited, although discussions were held once with the mayor, federal parliamentarians, etc., after receiving a letter from the center, no concrete decision has been made. He clarified that the issue is still under discussion as no new instructions have been received from the higher authorities recently. Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Khelraj Pandey said that while the construction of the Motipur Industrial Area is necessary, it is not possible to remove the local residents. He made it clear that it would be difficult to build an industrial area by displacing local residents. A few months ago, in agreement with the locals, with the facilitation of the municipality, an agreement was reached to develop the industrial area while preserving structures such as temples, water ponds, and schools. Similarly, in the Dhandhapur area of Ward No. 18, an agreement was reached to leave a 75-foot road, not to take less than 6 katthas of land, and for those with more land to give half to the industrial area and use the other half themselves, according to local facilitator Baburam Ghimire. Rupandehi Chief District Officer Madhav Prasad Pokharel, however, said that security would be provided if the concerned body requested it to remove encroachments. He clarified that the decision to remove or not remove encroachments depends on the discretion of the concerned body.