Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City removes illegal makeshift huts

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Aug. 31: Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has vacated around five dozen temporary shops and makeshift structures constructed illegally at the western part of New Road, near Bagheshwori temple. 

Despite Nepalgunj Sub Metropolitan City's issuance of a final ultimatum to evacuate and dismantle all makeshift structures built encroaching upon public land by Tuesday evening, the shopkeepers ignored the ultimatum till Wednesday morning.

However, on Wednesday afternoon, a team led by Mayor Prashant Bista and Ward-2 Chairman Manoj Shrestha, accompanied by city police, arrived at the location with a bulldozer and started a process to evacuate and dismantle the temporary structures.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mayor Bista and ward chairman Shrestha personally visited each shop, extending a request for the shop owners to vacate their premises by evening, and they even offered their assistance.

Mayor Bista said the sub-metropolis had to remove 60 shops operating in the makeshift structures on the public land. 

He also expressed the sub-metropolis's willingness to provide assistance to the shopkeepers. 

Individuals operating shops in the area complained that they had invested millions of rupees in constructing the makeshift structures. 

They also expressed sorrow over losing their source of income.

Ghazni Lonia, a shop owner, voiced his grievances, stating that he had incurred significant losses while leaving the shop. 

Similarly, shop operators Sonu Rai, Sajjad Kabadia, and Siraj Halwai said that it would have been more favourable if Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City had provided alternative solutions while vacating the shops.

They shared their sorrow, stating that the city office had taken away their family's means of livelihood.

Subsequently, following the issuance of a notice by Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City providing a seven-day ultimatum to dismantle the makeshift structures, the shop operators appealed to the High Court in Tulsipur Nepalgunj. 

However, the Tulsipur Nepalgunj bench of the High Court issued an additional notice within the injunction case. This allowed the petitioners to securely remove their shops before the deadline. However, the sub-metropolitan proceeded to evacuate the area after issuing an order to that effect.

Min Bahadur Malla, a leader of the civil society, expressed his happiness that the structures built by encroaching public land have been removed.