Man receives land compensation after 62 years

By Arjun Kafle, Syangja, Dec. 14: Shyam Prasad Shrestha of Putalibazar Municipality-1 has finally received compensation for his land after 62 years from the Syangja District Administration Office.

Shrestha received Rs. 10 million as compensation for his family’s land, Plot No. 2780 (area 5-12-1-2), as claimed. His grandfather, Shiva Lal Shrestha, had registered the land under pate registration in 1995 BS, while his father, Gunjaman Shrestha, had filled Form No. 7 under the land reform programme and used the land from 2022 BS onwards.

Eight years after the Supreme Court ordered compensation in line with the decision of the compensation committee, the Cabinet made the final decision on November 9, 2024. Shrestha received the amount in his bank account within a month of the government’s decision.

Chief District Officer Ishwari Prasad Aryal said that following the Cabinet decision, the government transferred and paid the amount to the concerned party.

After four years of legal struggle over the land, the Supreme Court, on May 23, 2017, issued an order -- from justices Deepak Kumar Karki and Anil Kumar Sinha -- directing the authorities to provide land in exchange or compensation within six months.

Despite approaching the Ministry of Home Affairs, the District Administration Office, land reform, land revenue and forest offices in search of his land, the compensation committee had earlier decided on October 18, 2012, that compensation would not be provided.

The government had registered the substitute land, Plot No. 326 (area 5-7-2-1), as forest land in its own name, while the district administration building was constructed on Shrestha’s original land. 

After the compensation committee refused payment, Shrestha filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on May 21, 2013, seeking an order for land exchange or compensation.

Three years after the Supreme Court verdict, in 2020, a compensation committee led by then Chief District Officer Ram Bahadur Kurumbang fixed the compensation amount at Rs. 10 million and forwarded the decision to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The district headquarters was shifted from Nuwakot to Putalibazar in 1963, and the administration building built on Shrestha’s land has now been relocated to government-owned land. With Shrestha receiving the compensation as decided, the long-running legal dispute has come to an end.

Shrestha said that although the actual value of his land was much higher, he was satisfied to finally receive the amount after years of litigation and in line with the Supreme Court verdict and the compensation committee’s decision.

He said that, as per the Supreme Court ruling, 13 per cent of the compensation was shared among his brothers, while he received the remaining 87 per cent.