KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 17

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced plans to reclaim around 1,859 ropani and 14 aana of encroached public land, valued at approximately Rs 200 billion, as part of its ongoing campaign to restore public properties to community use.

Since the start of the current administration, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has recovered publicly owned land worth an estimated Rs 23 billion, Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The land, which had been seized or illegally occupied, totals over 208 ropani.

The recovered areas are being developed into public parks, sports grounds, skateboarding parks, shelters, and green spaces to prevent further encroachment.

The campaign follows the mandate of the Local Government Operation Act, 2017, which grants local governments full authority to protect, manage, and reclaim public land and property. A committee led by former secretary Ram Bahadur Rawal has been formed to oversee implementation based on the Rawal Commission's report, which identifies the extent of land encroachment and the individuals involved.

Mayor Sah said that the committee will begin work on Thursday, with KMC urging citizens, local bodies, and related institutions to cooperate in the effort. The metropolis said successful execution of the campaign could help reclaim over Rs 200 billion worth of public and government property currently under the control of land mafias.

KMC has also requested the public to report any known cases of public land encroachment to its Urban Management Department. The city government stated that the initiative aims not only to make Kathmandu free from land encroachment but also to ensure that all citizens have fair access to public assets and spaces.