PM Balendra Shah Clarifies Efforts to Manage Squatter Settlements

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has provided a clarification regarding the fear being spread over the removal of squatter settlements located on riverbanks and public lands in the Kathmandu Valley. The Prime Minister stated that the government has no intention of displacing citizens and emphasized that no one will be left homeless.

Issuing a message through the social media platform Facebook, he addressed the planned efforts to spread fear among citizens regarding the government's legal management process for encroached public lands. He urged the public not to follow unconfirmed information or rumors. He clarified that the management of encroachments on riverbanks and public lands in the Kathmandu Valley is not intended to displace citizens but is being carried out for a long-term solution.

He wrote, "The government's attention has been drawn to various comments and interpretations regarding the management process initiated by the Government of Nepal in accordance with the law in areas where riverbanks and government-owned lands in the Valley have been clearly encroached upon. The government takes seriously the information regarding attempts to create suspicion and systematically spread fear among landless citizens and those forced to live in unmanaged settlements about potential displacement."

He mentioned that following the removal of legal hurdles, work has begun on digital data collection, verification of details, and the creation of records based on clear criteria for genuine landless citizens. He claimed that the government has already moved toward a systematic, transparent, and sustainable solution by identifying the actual status of landless citizens through this process.

Prime Minister Shah also stated that the government would arrange for the safe and systematic relocation of citizens living in unsafe locations where their lives are at risk. Regarding landless citizens, he noted that the Government of Nepal would make necessary decisions based on the recommendations of the relevant commission and the collected data. He urged everyone not to fall for any kind of confusion, not to panic unnecessarily, and to refrain from spreading unconfirmed information.