KATHMANDU, May 4: While the government is clearing public land across the country in the name of resolving issues faced by landless farmers, thousands of bighas of land—including Shera Durbar in Nuwakot, Swargadwari Ashram in Dang, and the Greater Janakpur area—occupied by individuals and land mafias under political protection, have still not come under clear investigation.
In the Shera Durbar case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) of Nepal Police has already investigated and submitted its report to the government. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) was also informed of further action. Separate complaints regarding land encroachment in Swargadwari and Greater Janakpur area have also been filed at the CIAA. Although the CIAA has completed its investigation, it has not taken the cases to the Special Court.
Out of 184 ropanis of Shera Durbar land, 164 ropanis remain under alleged political protection. Two years ago, a notice was issued giving Annapurna Farming (company) a seven-day deadline. Shera Durbar land is currently registered under Annapurna Farming. The Nuwakot Land Revenue Office had also issued a notice to its operator Bikesh Shrestha, asking him to clarify how government land was transferred to the company and how it has been used, but no action has been taken so far.
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Shrestha, a former central committee member of the then CPN (Maoist Centre) and a former secretary to Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has not returned the land. The land was initially registered under Gaurishankar Farming and later transferred to Annapurna Farming. On February 24, 1979, Shera Durbar land and plots numbered 82, 83, 84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 97, and 98 were surveyed under Gaurishankar Farming.
Similarly, in Dang, land belonging to Swargadwari Ashram has been widely encroached. In Jhigaura of Ghorahi, 26 bighas 18 kaththas 5 dhurs have been occupied by land mafias while landless people have been deprived of land ownership certificates. In Ramapur of Ghorahi, 24 bighas 19 kaththas 12 dhurs have been grabbed. In Arnahawa of Lamahi, 41 bighas 12 kaththas 16 dhurs have been encroached. Authorities have remained silent even as land mafias built structures on the encroached land in the main market area of Lamahi.
In Uchanibbu, around 26 bighas of Swargadwari Ashram land have been seized. In Chailahi, more than 10 bighas, in Bangaun around 10 bighas, and in Majgaun 41 bighas 12 kaththas 13 dhurs have also been occupied. Similarly, in Dhodeni, two bighas two kaththas two dhurs, and in Nainawar around 16 bighas three kaththas of land are also under land mafia control.
In Tarigaun, around five bighas of Swargadwari Ashram land have also been encroached. The land involves disputes between tenants and land mafias. Despite repeated tenant movements, the government has not been able to reclaim the land.
Similarly, thousands of bighas of land belonging to Janaki Temple in Janakpur have not been recovered from land mafias for years. The official records of the temple were reportedly removed, and land mafias have encroached 91 bighas 18 kaththas 8 dhurs of Guthi land worth billions of rupees within Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City. Despite repeated reports, the land has not been returned to the temple.
Following widespread encroachment of ponds, temples, and Guthi land in the Greater Janakpur area, a high-level task force led by Bhojraj Ghimire was formed on August 10, 2005. The task force submitted its report on January 19, 2006 after six months of investigation, but it has not been implemented.
According to the report, out of 49 public ponds within Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City, five have already disappeared. In the 1991 municipal profile, Janakpur had 58 religious ponds, totaling 82 ponds over 40 hectares. About 32.8 percent of them have already disappeared, with many filled and converted into settlements.
Ponds such as Janak Sarowar, Amritkund, Gopal Sar, Payaswini Sar, and Baldev Sar have been filled and converted into settlements, hotels, hospitals, and colleges. According to the report, 9,846 bighas 12 kaththas of land under 25 Guthi institutions have been encroached. More than 10 bighas of Janakpur Guthi land alone have been occupied. The government has not been able to reclaim the land in the name of the temple, despite complaints filed at the CIAA.
