Devghat Religious Land Encroached

Tanahun. Land owned by the Ram Mandir Guti at the famous religious pilgrimage site Devghatdham in the district has been encroached upon. It is estimated that about 30 ropanis of land out of 149 ropanis in the name of the Guti have been encroached upon, with permanent and temporary structures built and settlements established.

In that area, 106 people from 37 households have built permanent and temporary structures and settled. Purnabahadur Kunwar, spokesperson of Devghat Rural Municipality and ward chairman of Ward No. 5, informed that the land is being bought and sold based on household documents.

He stated that although there is a clear legal provision that Guti land cannot be transferred to individuals or given a land ownership certificate, it has been found that land is being bought and sold in that area by creating household documents, and therefore, people have been informed not to buy or sell such land.

The rural municipality has also urged the local residents to vacate the Guti land. The federal government is preparing to provide land ownership certificates legally by arranging alternative land for genuine landless squatters who do not have land anywhere.

With the active participation of Devghat Rural Municipality, Devghat Area Development Committee, and local administration, 16 temporary huts built by encroaching public land in the Beni area of Devghat have been completely removed.

The unauthorized structures in that area were removed after the Area Development Committee issued a seven-day notice for the protection of the bathing ghat at the confluence of Trishuli and Kaligandaki, 'Beni', and for the beautification of the religious area.

Various organizations, ascetics, monks, priests, and businessmen had built and occupied those huts on the public land below the bathing ghat protection wall.