Chandrapur Municipality takes action to reclaim public land registered in individual's name

By Yadavraj Puri,Rautahat, June 7: The Chandrapur Municipality of Rautahat has launched an initiative to reclaim the public land of the ecologically diverse and touristic area of Mardhar wetlands, which had been registered in an individual's name.

The Municipality is actively engaged in the process of bringing the historical wetland area, which had existed for over two centuries, back under the jurisdiction of the local government.

Upon learning that approximately 50 bighas (around 16.18 acres) of public land located in Chandrapur Municipality-8 had been registered in the names of land mafias, the municipality has undertaken a thorough examination of related documents and initiated an investigation in collaboration with the Land Revenue and survey office to reclaim the land.

Sanjay Karki, Chief of Chandrapur Municipality, expressed dismay over the registration of the Mardhar wetland land in an individual's name. 

As a result, a budget allocation of Rs. 15 million, which had been designated by the Madhes government for the beautification and enhancement of the wetland area in the previous fiscal year, was returned, he further stated.

The municipality has been diligently identifying the individuals who have unlawfully registered the land in their names, he said, adding the municipality had already submitted a letter to the Land Revenue Office requesting the cancellation of the registration.

In 2046 B.S., landless squatters who were displaced from Dhinyala, Makwanpur were resettled in Katani of Rangpur Rural Municipality, Rautahat, under the support of the then high-level commission dedicated to strengthening the forest area.

Nayab Subba Keshav Bhattarai from the Land Revenue Office revealed that records indicate that the commission had registered the land belonging to the Mardhar wetland in the name of an individual.  With approximately 7 to 15 kathas of land, a total of 116 plots have been established under different individuals' names, he added. 

To regain control over the land and restore it to the authority of the local government, a 17-member struggle committee, led by Shiva Acharya, a member of the Madhes Province Committee, has been formed. 

Acharya stated that their efforts to transfer the land back to the wetland's name have already commenced.