NEPALGUNJ: Kohalpur Municipality in Banke has removed 751 houses and huts built by encroaching public and government land.

The structures were cleared over a period of around four days from an area near the cricket ground in Ward No. 11 of Kohalpur Municipality.

Mayor Purna Prasad Acharya said that most people took away their belongings such as windows and doors themselves, and the remaining structures were demolished.

He said that genuine landless squatters will be managed, even by providing a livelihood allowance, and noted that the number of people staying in holding centers has been decreasing.

He said that eviction is not a matter of choice, adding that basic needs were considered and blankets were distributed on the first day, and a relief package worth around Rs 500,000 including 25 kg of rice and 5 kg of lentils was prepared but later suspended due to complications in distribution and a notice was issued. The municipality has received details of 102 households so far.

He said, “Genuine landless settlers will either be provided land if possible, or they will be given livelihood allowance by preparing a working procedure.”

After the eviction using bulldozers in the settlement near the cricket ground in Ward No. 11, affected families have been temporarily kept at the Kohalpur New Bus Park building.

Many families staying in the holding center said they have no land or house and are worried about their future. “We don’t know how long we will have to stay like this,” said Prem BK, who is staying at the holding center.

The municipality has arranged families in groups on three floors of the bus park building based on their number.

Most families, who survive on daily wage labour, said their food supplies are running out and a food crisis is emerging. They said relief would help them at least if the municipality provides basic ration support.

Some women squatters said living in a shared hall with men has created discomfort and privacy issues. Most of those staying there belong to Dalit and Madhesi communities. There are 279 people in the center, including around 60 children.

The municipality said the number of families staying in the holding center is gradually decreasing.

Meanwhile, human rights and legal rights activists from Banke have carried out a field monitoring of the holding center set up by Kohalpur Municipality.

A team led by senior advocate Sunil Kumar Shrestha, coordinator of the Public Concern Lawyers Group, gathered information about the squatters taking shelter in the holding center.

The team also met Mayor Purna Prasad Acharya, municipal official Ishwari Prasad BK, and former chairperson of the Land Problem Resolution Commission Banke, Ghananath Khanal, to gather information about the incident.

More than 53,700 families in Banke are reported to be landless settlers. After the dissolution of the land commission, work such as land ownership distribution, surveying, and revenue collection has come to a halt, creating further uncertainty.