Squatters given 5-day ultimatum to vacate Kirtipur holding center

Kathmandu. After removing settlements along the river banks, the empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee has posted a notice asking the squatters and landless people temporarily sheltered at the Kirtipur holding center to vacate the building within 5 days. The committee has urged them to vacate the holding center by managing themselves from Monday to Friday. According to the project director of the empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, Machakaji Maharjan, the daily lives of the people staying at the holding center for a long time have become chaotic. 'The reason for vacating is that the residents of the center are unable to go to work, are living a chaotic life, and the stay there is only a temporary arrangement,' he told Ratopati. 'The monsoon has already started and the Kirtipur holding center is located next to the river bank, so there is a great risk of floods and inundation during the rainy season. To prevent such security sensitivities and humanitarian crises, the committee had to give a 5-day ultimatum to send the squatters to a safe place before the monsoon,' said Maharjan.

Relief package available

The government has put forward a relief and rehabilitation package to vacate the holding center, and the committee has stated that it will now be implemented. Under this, the government has decided to provide a lump sum of Rs 25,000 per family as rehabilitation expenses to the displaced people inside and outside the holding center to find rooms and make initial arrangements. 'The necessary budget for this has been allocated and received by the committee, and there is a legal compulsion to spend and distribute this budget by Asar 15 to 20 of the current fiscal year,' he said. 'Real squatters and families proven to be homeless will be provided with installment-based rent assistance at the rate of Rs 15,000 per month to rent a separate room. This amount will be provided until the Land Commission decides on their permanent settlement. We are not making them homeless,' he said. According to the committee, a total of 388 families are currently dependent on 6 holding centers in the valley. So far, no one has received the relief amount. The committee has deployed 3 to 4 special teams to expedite the relief distribution process. To receive relief, the affected families will have to submit an application with their account number. The committee has stated that the amount will be directly provided through the bank as soon as the application is collected and the account number is obtained.