KATHMANDU: The Landless Settlers’ Central Joint Struggle Committee staged a protest at Maitighar on Friday, accusing the government of attempting to abandon them without securing proper alternative housing.

The demonstration was triggered after the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization issued a notice ordering the squatters to vacate their current holding centers, granting them an extended deadline until July 3.

The displaced families had been moved into these holding centers in April following a government crackdown that cleared landless settlements along the riverbanks of the Kathmandu Valley.

Although the authorities issued the eviction notice under the premise of providing temporary rental allowances, the residents strongly opposed the move, fearing they would be left completely stranded.

During Friday’s protest, demonstrators held placards demanding an end to “state terror,” financial compensation for their demolished huts, and proper identification for permanent rehabilitation.

The Struggle Committee warned that if the government fails to manage their relocation properly, they will have no choice but to return and reoccupy their original settlement sites along the riverbanks.