Himalayan News Service

Nepalgunj, January 14

The under-construction Regional Armed Police Maheshwori battalion office at Rajhena VDC in Banke is giving sleepless nights to locals. The office building, set up after displacing Gyanpunja Secondary school in Rajhena-4, will now displace 10 families who have their own land and 15 other families as well as some shops housed on government land.

Dilli Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Banke pooh-poohed fears of their displacement, saying that the decisions are yet to come through and that the families would be compensated in that event.

Construction is on for the last six months. The government had informed locals about the requisition of five bighas of land. The measurement of land earmarked for the rear part of the building is said to be complete.

It occupies two bighas, three katthas, 10 dhurs on private ownership while more than two and a half bighas of lands are to be requisitioned, said the brigade office.

Anxious squatters claimed the government went ahead with the acquisition without any definite plans relating to their rehabilitation. Dal Bahadur Khadka, who owns 4 katthas of land, is distraught at the government move. He complained,

'That is all I can call my own. If even that is acquired, what will I do, where will I go?' He hoped the government would provide the displaced land near their old locations or else it would be difficult for him amd others to take possession of the new lands.

The government has reportedly fixed Rs. 7, 000 per kattha as compensation. Locals alleged it was not even half the market price, complaining they were not informed about the compensation package by the government. 'How can I throw away my land for Rs 7000 when I bought it for Rs 40,000 two years back?' Dil Bahadur anguished. Kaman Singh Rana and Akkal Bahadur Rokaya from the same locality echoed his words, saying 'We are all deeply saddened by this.'

Earlier the CDO had assured them that the government would take their sentiments into account. But the new move has infuriated them.

The locals are now demanding they be provided land in the vicinity of their land that is to be acquired. They said, 'We have no use for lands that are far away.'

In a similar government move earlier, more than half a dozen establishments including a VDC Office and a post office were displaced. Also, Maoists had exploded two bombs in that under-construction building then.