DANG, May 5: A growing standoff is brewing between the federal government and local units in Dang, as plans to clear encroached land using bulldozers face strong resistance from local authorities demanding rehabilitation first.
The District Administration Office (DAO) has already set the process in motion, issuing a 21-day notice to clear encroached land, including government land in Ghorahi-16. The move follows a recent meeting with chiefs and deputy chiefs of all 10 local levels, where a decision was taken to proceed with eviction.
But what the federal government sees as enforcement, local governments are increasingly calling a rushed and insensitive approach.
Acting in line with federal policy, the DAO aims to clear encroachments across the district. However, local representatives warn that doing so without a concrete resettlement plan could trigger a serious confrontation.
“The federal government appears focused on sending in bulldozers without thinking about where displaced families will go,” said Tikaram Khadka, Mayor of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City. “We cannot support this. Proper management of residents must come first.”
Climate Change and Informal Settlements
Khadka made it clear that local governments would not cooperate if demolitions proceeded without rehabilitation. “If bulldozers are used without a plan, we will stand with the people. Displacing them in the name of clearing encroachments is not acceptable,” he said.
That sentiment is echoed across the district.
In Rapti Rural Municipality, Chairperson Prakash Bista said the local government would side with residents if evictions leave families homeless. The municipality alone has around 500 landless and Dalit households.
“Pushing landless settlers onto the streets is not an option,” Bista said. “We have a responsibility to stand with them.”
Gadhawa Rural Municipality has taken a similar stance. Chairperson Yam Narayan Sharma warned that any eviction without guaranteed housing would be opposed.
“The intent to bulldoze settlements without ensuring alternatives is deeply concerning,” Sharma said. “First secure housing for the landless—only then can eviction be justified.”
Local governments across Dang are united on one point: relocation must come before removal. Their proposal is clear—identify affected families, provide alternative land, and only then proceed with clearing encroachments.
Mayor Khadka also urged the government to revive and build on the work of the now-defunct Landless Settlers Problem Resolution Commission, which had already made progress in land verification and ownership distribution.
“Much of the groundwork has been done. If local governments are entrusted with this responsibility, we can manage it effectively,” he said, warning that a bulldozer-first approach could backfire.
In Gadhawa alone, about 1,300 households are identified as landless. Land verification has already been completed, but the distribution of ownership certificates stalled after the commission was dissolved. Sharma believes continuing that process would make resettlement faster and more cost-effective.
Meanwhile, the district administration insists that eviction will be carried out in coordination with local governments. Chief District Officer Bishow Prakash Aryal said authorities will first verify whether residents are genuinely landless before arranging temporary shelter if needed.
“Identification comes first, then management,” Aryal said. “Temporary shelter can be arranged where necessary.”
But on the ground, anxiety is already rising. Landless and informal settlers have begun protests, fearing forced evictions without proper safeguards—turning what began as an administrative move into a potential flashpoint.
