Kathmandu, October 2
Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Indira Rana Magar has drawn the government’s attention to the problems faced by people in Jhapa due to wild elephants and unresolved land issues affecting landless settlers.
Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Friday, she urged the government to take immediate and effective measures to control damage caused by elephants during the harvest season and to provide land ownership certificates to citizens who have already received land ownership slips.
Rana Magar said farmers in Jhapa have been forced to stay awake throughout the night to protect their crops from elephants as Dashain approaches.
She said land-related problems were equally serious. She expressed concern that landless settlers who have already received land ownership slips were being subjected to further hardship in the name of re-surveying their land.
“Farmers are currently forced to give up their sleep and keep watch over their crops throughout the night because of elephants, but there has been no assurance of concrete relief from the government. Those who have already received land ownership slips should receive their land ownership certificates soon. They should not be made to suffer by adding more procedures,” she said.
Rana Magar said she had received complaints that some local governments were spreading confusion by claiming that they had received “orders from above”. She called on the concerned ministry to clarify the matter.
She urged the government to immediately announce an action plan to provide relief to farmers affected by wild elephants and ownership certificates to those waiting for them.
