KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balen Shah has said that the clearing of squatter settlements was carried out with the objective of ensuring housing rights and finding a long-term solution to the problem.

In a Facebook post on Monday, he clarified that the settlements were not removed with the intention of displacing citizens.

According to him, the Government of Nepal has initiated management processes in accordance with the law in areas of the Kathmandu Valley where illegal encroachment has been identified—particularly along riverbanks and on government-owned land.

He noted that the government’s attention has been drawn to various interpretations and comments circulating regarding this process.

He stated that the government has taken seriously attempts to spread fear and create concerns among landless and informally settled citizens that they may be displaced.

In this context, certain provisions of the Land Act, 1964 have been scrapped through an ordinance, considering them as obstacles to implementing a long-term solution.

With legal barriers removed, the process of digitally recording genuine landless citizens, verifying their details, and preparing a clear database has begun, he added.

Shah said the government has already moved forward toward a systematic, transparent, and sustainable solution by identifying the real conditions of landless citizens.

He also informed that arrangements will be made to relocate citizens living in unsafe and high-risk areas to safer and more organized locations.

For other landless citizens, necessary decisions will be taken by the government based on the recommendations of the concerned commission and collected data.

The government clarified that all measures taken are aimed not at evicting citizens but at ensuring housing rights and resolving the issue permanently.

It has urged the public not to be misled, panic unnecessarily, or spread unverified information.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Shah stated that it is dedicated to ensuring safe, dignified, and permanent housing for every landless citizen and will not allow any citizen to become homeless.