Surkhet Authorities Prepare to Remove Encroachments on Public Land

Surkhet. Preparations are underway in Surkhet to remove houses and structures built on public land. Preparations have also begun in Surkhet as the process to remove encroachments on public land across the country has started.

For this, a collection of details about encroached public land has been initiated. Surkhet's Chief District Officer Jagdishwor Upadhaya told Ratopati that details of public land have been requested from all local levels in accordance with the directive circular from the Home Ministry.

'As per the circular received from the center, we have asked the local levels to collect and send details about the encroached public land,' he said, 'Once those details arrive, the work to clear the encroached land will proceed accordingly.'

Chief District Officer Upadhaya also clarified that this work is proceeding as per the letter from the Home Ministry. So far, no confirmed data on how much government land is encroached in Surkhet has been publicly released.

It is said that government land has been encroached upon for a long time, especially in Birendranagar, which is also the provincial capital. The municipality had previously made decisions through its executive body to search for government land multiple times. After the local level elections in 2079 BS, Mayor Mohanmaya Dhakal had stated that she would search for public/government land within the city.

The municipality had a plan to identify traditional canals, paths, and areas of public importance, prevent encroachment, and search for government land including the Surkhet Valley Development Committee. However, the municipality could not work according to that plan.

Some traders who had shops on rented government land within Birendranagar market were previously removed. In Falgun 2080 BS, 125 shops in the warehouse line, Hong Kong market, and Hattia line within the Birendranagar market area were demolished by bulldozers. Small businesses were operating on land rented from the city development committee.

Attempts were also made to remove temporary houses, structures, kiosks, and other constructions from Ghantaghar to the south and from Madhya Paschim University to the west.

Furthermore, party offices on government land still remain as they are. Those party offices had rented out shutters. However, those shutters have been removed as per the city's directive.

It is said that a large amount of government land has been lost in other areas as well. Across Surkhet district, land belonging to various government bodies is being encroached upon by landless squatters, flood victims, and even by other government offices. However, no confirmed data of encroached land has been publicly released so far.

• Local Levels Issue Ultimatum After Administration's Request

Following the administration's request for details as per the Home Ministry's directive, local levels in Surkhet have issued ultimatums to remove houses and structures built on encroached government land.

Birendranagar Municipality has given a 7-day ultimatum to remove such houses and structures on Wednesday. As per the letter from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration dated Baisakh 17, the municipality has issued a public notice regarding the instruction to protect and preserve government and public land.

Additionally, as per the approved policy, programs, and annual budget of Birendranagar Municipality for the current fiscal year, a sports field is to be constructed on the land east of the women's hostel in Birendranagar Municipality-8, and the process for agreement has begun. Therefore, it has been instructed to remove physical structures (houses/huts) that have been built arbitrarily on this government land and those built under agreement with the city development committee.

The municipality has warned that if the houses/huts built on encroachment in this area are not removed within 7 days, the cost incurred in removing the structures will be recovered from the respective structure owners as per the law.

According to Bheriganga Municipality, a large number of houses and structures have been built on encroached government land east of the municipal office and west of the Animal Development Branch in Ward No. 12.

Similarly, structures have been built on encroached government roads in the industrial zone in Ward No. 11 Ramghat and from the municipal building to the Chinchu Khola bridge in Ward No. 12. Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality, Haribahadur Khatri, stated that the municipality has given a 7-day ultimatum to remove those structures.

According to him, the municipal executive meeting held on Monday has already decided to remove structures built on encroached government and public land within the municipality.

• What is the situation of landless and squatters in Surkhet?

In many places here, people have built houses on unallocated land. In Babiyachaur, Taranga, Sajhghat in western Surkhet and other places, citizens have been living on unallocated land for years.

As of 2078 BS, the number of Dalits, landless, squatters, and unorganized residents in Surkhet was over 14,000, with landless squatters and landless Dalits numbering 4,090 and unorganized residents numbering 9,938, according to the records of the then Land Commission Surkhet.

At that time, there were preparations to distribute land ownership certificates. Some ownership certificates were also distributed accordingly. It was stated that the mapping of 8,155 ropanis of land across the district was completed in 2078 BS.

However, the work of distributing certificates could not be completed everywhere, which remains a major problem.