Prime Minister Balen Shah has said that squatters living along riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley were relocated because they were residing in high-risk areas.
He made the remarks while responding to lawmakers’ questions during a meeting of the House of Representatives on Sunday.
“People living along the riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley were relocated because they were residing in hazardous conditions. Four years ago, when I was serving in local government, I had already informed the federal government about this issue. Those who do not own even a single dhur of land will be accommodated in holding centers, and land will eventually be provided to them,” he said. “In previous years, floods caused them significant hardship. Toilets and sewage from squatter settlements were being discharged directly into the rivers.”
He also stated that the river systems had become heavily polluted. “The rivers had become polluted as well. The government acted to save the lives of the squatters. Land arrangements will be made for those who have been relocated. A land-related committee has also been formed,” he said.
Addressing the older political parties, Prime Minister Shah suggested that people should not expect in 35 minutes what had not been achieved in 35 years. “Let us not expect in 35 minutes what was not accomplished in 35 years,” he said. “The management of squatters is underway, and we will resolve the issue with the necessary time and effort.”
He also said that work is being carried out to address problems in the cooperative sector. “A fund has been established for cooperatives as well. It appears that only the Government of Nepal’s money has been used so far,” he said. “Three billion rupees had been collected through cooperatives. The funds will be returned by raising money through the cooperative system itself.”
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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