Nepal

The National Land Commission has asked Kathmandu Metropolitan City and all local levels, government and non-governmental agencies to not remove the settlements of landless squatters, landless dalits, and unorganised dwellers from their places of residence.

Issuing a notice the commission asked them put any removal plans before data collection, verification and distribution of land registration certificates to the target groups completes.  The commission has said it is collecting and verifying details of landless dalits, landless squatters and those residing in haphazard settlements.

The commission has said that it will resume the work of verification which it had stopped during the November 20 elections.

Commission’s vice-chair and spokesperson Nahendra Khadka said: "Those works were suspended for a certain period of time because of the Election Code of Conduct. It will resume soon."

The Commission, formed in accordance with the Land Act-1964, is the government entity to provide land to the landless dalits, and squatters and to "systematise" haphazard settlements. 

The notice comes after the Kathmandu Metropolitan City tried to demolish the settlements of the
squatters in Bagmati River bank in Thapathali earlier this week. KMC had started to remove the buildings in Thapathali areas as they were unauthorised and built on public land. 

KMC, in co-ordination with Bagmati Civilisation Integrated Development Committee, has been removing the buildings built in the Thapathali area near squatter settlements along the Bagmati river bank. 

The squatters residing in Bagmati had pitched a battle with municipal police personnel on November 29. The next morning the agitated squatters had also demanded "proper housing arrangements" for their families in a demonstration in front of the municipal office.