Victims Protest Pashupati Area Development Trust Master Plan Implementation

Kathmandu. Victims of Tilganga area (Block B 13) have been continuously protesting for the past 45 days, stating that the government has committed gross injustice against them in the name of implementing the master plan of the Pashupati Area Development Trust.

The government demolished the houses and huts of citizens who have been living in the Tilganga area for a long time on May 1 and 2. They are protesting in front of the main gate of the Pashupati Area Development Trust in Gaushala, accusing the government of treating them like squatters and violating their fundamental rights, even though they are not squatters.

Local victim Sudarshan Gautam clarified that they are legal citizens who have been living legally by regularly paying taxes to the state, not squatters occupying government land. According to him, a round of talks and discussions was recently held between the affected parties and the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.

During the discussion, the affected citizens submitted their necessary documents and evidence of past agreements to the ministry again. The minister acknowledged that the houses were demolished without sufficient information and prior notice about the incident and informed that the relevant bodies have been asked for necessary documents regarding this matter. Gautam stated that the minister assured that the issue would be brought to a conclusion by meeting again within the next 15 days with the government side.

Expressing his plight, Gautam said, 'We are self-respecting Nepali citizens who have been living with land ownership certificates, building completion certificates, and by regularly paying taxes to the ward office. If the master plan is to be followed, we should be given land in Gothatar, otherwise, there is no point in the government demolishing the houses we have been living in, as we were ready to relocate from here.'

Although all documents were submitted to the ministry before the settlement was demolished, they were ignored, and even after submitting proof again, no concrete conclusion has been reached yet.

The Pashupati Development Trust had made a written agreement to resettle the residents of that area by providing land of at least four annas per family in Gothatar while acquiring land under the master plan. In accordance with that agreement, the Trust formally signed an agreement with the residents of Tilganga area (B 13) on June 1, 2014.

However, despite the long time elapsed since the agreement and their willingness to relocate, the Trust has not provided land as per the agreement and has instead demolished the existing houses, forcing them to the streets and making them homeless, the victims complain.