The government has said it will arrange permanent housing for “genuine landless squatters” who were removed from three locations in Kathmandu within 15 days.
Squatters living in Thapathali, Gairigaun, and the Manohara area will be relocated over Saturday and Sunday to temporary settlements.
According to a source at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the relocation is being carried out only after prior preparation.
A source from the Prime Minister’s Office told Onlinekhabar, “News reports have suggested that squatters are being moved without preparation. That is not true. Arrangements have been made to relocate them in an organised manner.”
Security personnel had used loudspeakers on Friday evening to urge residents to vacate the areas by the evening. As the government moves to clear squatters from the three locations, some people had already started leaving on Friday morning. The government believes that some of those leaving are individuals who own land and property elsewhere but had been posing as squatters.
“There are genuine squatters, but there are also people with houses and land who have been living as squatters,” the Prime Minister’s Office source said. “We will make proper arrangements for genuine squatters. Those occupying land in the name of squatters will be removed.”
The squatters relocated from these areas on Saturday and Sunday will be housed in three different locations within Kathmandu. The Prime Minister’s Office claims that better arrangements for living and food will be provided compared to their current conditions.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the records of the relocated squatters will be collected at the relocation sites. The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation will carry out the data collection.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the process of distinguishing between genuine and non-genuine squatters will be completed within 15 days.
“After data collection, those who have no land or house will be provided with permanent housing by the government,” the source said. “The government will work in the interest of squatters after verifying whether they have land ownership certificates.”
As the government prepares to clear the squatter settlements, residents have become fearful. Some have warned they will resist if force is used. Meanwhile, vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and new mothers are increasingly worried. The Prime Minister’s Office has urged people not to panic.
“People with disabilities, pregnant women, new mothers, and the elderly will be relocated safely. There is no need to panic,” an official at the Prime Minister’s Office said. “Genuine squatters do not need to worry.”
The government said the decision to clear the settlements is based on recommendations from various past study committees. According to the government, settlements along riverbanks are unsafe during the monsoon and also affect urban aesthetics. Officials say the move follows recommendations from previous studies to clear such areas.
The Prime Minister’s Office said it is still in the process of determining the exact number of squatters to be relocated over the weekend and identifying the three locations where they will be housed.
