JANAKPURDHAM: Investigations and search operations have been launched to identify and reclaim encroached lands belonging to various Guthis (religious and social trusts) and the Guthi Corporation.

Following increased concern from the federal government regarding land encroachment, the Corporation has stepped up its efforts to collect land records and clear illegal occupations.

The ownership of trust lands belongs strictly to the respective Guthi or the Guthi Corporation itself. A Supreme Court ruling on January 24, 2008, halted the process of converting trust land into private tenure (Raitani), deeming it inconsistent with the Constitution.

The Supreme Court’s decision explicitly noted that individuals cultivating or occupying Guthi land do not automatically acquire tenant rights (Mohiyani).

The Guthi Corporation office in Janakpurdham has issued a public notice instructing individuals who have built physical structures and settled on lands belonging to monasteries, temples, ponds, and former trust properties to vacate the premises.

A task force formed under the coordination of the Corporation’s administration chief, Dhruba Ghimire, issued a 7-day public notice demanding the clearance of encroached Guthi and Guthi Corporation lands in Janakpurdham.

According to Kishor Kumar Jha, head of the Guthi Corporation Janakpurdham branch, the institution holds 49 ponds in Janakpurdham. Record collection for seven ponds is in its final stages, while five ponds have completely disappeared.

Jha stated that ponds were filled in to build residential settlements, hotels, hospitals, commercial establishments, and colleges. Because the Guthi Corporation lacks updated records of its properties, the full extent of the encroachment remains unclear.

It is estimated that around 148,000 to 169,000 square meters of Guthi Corporation land may have been encroached upon in Janakpurdham. According to Chief Jha, this includes an estimated 61,000 square meters at Ratna Sagar and over 27,000 square meters at Belakutti.