Kohalpur Municipality to clear unregulated structures

Banke, May 9: The Kohalpur Municipality in Banke has initiated efforts to remove structures that have been built on public and government land without prior permission. 

The encroachment issue affects about 36 bighas of land, especially near the cricket ground, where 751 families currently live. 

Mayor Purna Prasad Acharya shared that around 60 families who are genuinely landless have reached out to the municipality, and temporary housing has been arranged for them at a holding centre. 

This group includes 416 unregulated dwellers, 172 landless Dalits and 163 landless squatters. 

Mayor Acharya expressed concerns about fraudulent activities, such as the creation of fake documents and illegal land transactions, which are currently under investigation. 

To tackle this issue, the municipality has started identifying legitimate landless squatters and Dalits who have encroached on public land. A records management committee has been set up to evaluate household conditions, their financial situations and the status of their land plots in other sites. 

Last year, 751 landless residents and Dalits submitted forms, but only 153 landless Dalits and 141 landless squatters were confirmed as genuine landless. (RSS)