Chitwan, May 24
People living near the Narayangadh-Muglin road section that connects the Prithivi Highway with the East-west Highway have demanded that the government relocate them to a safer place and provide compensation as their livelihoods have been disturbed.
This comes days after project said that temporary settlements along the highway will soon be cleared to facilitate the expansion of the strategically important road. Following the notice, the project has already partially paid 45 households to relocate. The project is to provide Rs 70,000- 1.4 million to each household forced to move out. Project officials have already distributed 30 per cent of the compensation amount as the first instalment.
The locals, however, are disappointed. The residents on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the District Administration Office demanding that the government not only provide monetary compensation but also land for them to relocate to.
Meanwhile, the project’s division engineer Govinda Khanal clarified that the government can’t provide land to the people. “We have already provided due compensation. We are here to construct the project, not to look for land to relocate these people.”
