Nepal’s Squatter Issue: Will the Squatter Authority Deliver Justice to the Underprivileged?
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The community displaced by bulldozer demolitions of houses in the Kathmandu Valley continues to seek contact with the government as of Monday.
Machakaji Maharjan, Project Director of the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, clarified that the registration process for those claiming to be landless has not been stopped.
“Reports indicate that only a limited number of house demolitions are still ongoing,” he said, “the registration process must continue during this period.”
He also shared that about two thousand families have been registered so far.
Prakriti KC, Information Officer at the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, another body involved in registration, confirmed on Monday that registrations are ongoing.
According to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office, among those registered, approximately 800 people have been placed in government-managed holding centers while others have started making their own arrangements.
The government has established holding centers in Kirti Pur’s Radha Swami Satsang building, new bus park and Machhapokhari area hotels, as well as two government training centers located in Bhaktapur.
Prime Minister Balen’s Commitment: No One Will Be Made Homeless
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Prime Minister Balendra Shah (known as Balen) stated, “We are removing houses built by unauthorized occupation on riverbanks and government land in the Kathmandu Valley with bulldozers.”
Amid criticism of the government’s displacement and management policies, Prime Minister Balen clarified on Facebook that the initiative is not aimed at evicting citizens but ensuring they have permanent housing.
He affirmed the government’s full commitment to provide respectful, safe, and permanent housing for all landless citizens, stating, “No citizen will be rendered homeless.”
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Regarding the way forward, the Prime Minister explained that certain provisions of the 2021 Land Act, which had obstructed a long-term solution to the squatter problem, have now been removed.
Subsequently, the collection, verification, and preparation of clear digital records of actual landless individuals have already commenced.
Prime Minister Balen wrote, “The government is now moving forward to identify genuine landless people and provide organized, transparent, and sustainable solutions. Arrangements will be made for the safe and systematic relocation of citizens at risk.”
Expansion of Protests Amid Fear?
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As bulldozers began demolishing houses in Kathmandu, fear of homelessness has spread to various parts of the country.
Protests led by squatters have been reported in several districts and market areas.
The Prime Minister targeted these movements, stating that there are attempts to spread fear and intentionally apply pressure on citizens residing in landless or unauthorized settlements.
He added that the government will decide on issues concerning landless citizens outside insecure settlements based on recommendations by the concerned commission and collected data.
His party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, mentioned the formation of an empowered authority to resolve the squatter issue and asked people not to panic. However, with the problem’s complexity, questions remain regarding how long the government will continue housing people in holding centers.
Machakaji Maharjan of the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee stated, “The identification process is progressing, and once genuine landless people are recognized, the government will take decisions.”
Sharad Prasad Trital, Coordinator of the famed Land Management Committee at Baluwatar and former Secretary, expressed hope that the government will address the long-standing suffering of genuine squatters, which the organization has understood.
He said, “Displacements during rainstorms have impacted children, postpartum women, and the elderly. The government must quickly relieve genuine squatters from years of hardship. Political manipulation is also a factor prolonging the problem.”
Former Secretary’s Recommendations for Resolving the Issue
About a dozen commissions formed in the past have failed to solve the squatter problem, despite repeatedly distributing land ownership certificates.
The dissolved commission had registered approximately 1.2 million squatters and citizens living in unplanned settlements.
According to former Secretary Trital, simply creating traditional commissions to distribute government land will not solve the squatter problem.
He said, “A judicial commission should be established to verify whether previously distributed land ownership certificates actually went to genuine squatters. The landless should be empowered to build their own homes and land.”
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He added that children should be provided education, skill-based training given according to needs, employment created, and special allowances provided until individuals become capable. The government should also take responsibility for the disabled and elderly.
During demolitions of homes built on allegedly encroached land, some people holding land ownership certificates and maps have expressed disagreement.
Trital recommends the government provide compensation to those who were the first to receive land on government property.
Reports indicate the government is seeking solutions amid complex nationwide privatization histories of public land over decades.
Former Secretary Trital said, “If the government wishes, it can start surveying where and when public land was encroached upon and identify the facts to take action within a year.”
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