PHIDIM: The government has been using lands and houses belonging to many local residents since 2003 without proper compensation. The Nepali Army had captured the land during the insurgency era. The government, following the rumor of Maoists’ attack on the government troops stationed in the district headquarters of Phidim, had captured the land and houses in Phidim and Chyangthapu VDC. The property has been fenced with barbed wire. The property captured by the Nepali Army included those of Nilkantha Thapa, Nar Bahadur Thapa, Prem Kafle, Dal Bahadur Kandel, Tanka Kandel, Khadga Thapa, Durga Thapa, Tarabir Gurung and Pusya Dhungana. They all hail from Phidim 1. Likewise, the Chyangthapu based security base camp had captured 7 ropanis land of Surendra Timilsina, a house of Rajendra Timsina, 7 ropanis land of Muktinath Timsina, houses and 10 ropanis land of Ghanaprasad Dhungel, Mana Kumari Gurung and Durga Kharel in 2002 and using them without any compensation. Muktinath Timsina of Chyangthapu said that the security agency also spoilt their lands and houses by felling trees and digging tunnels inside houses. Most the land and house owners of Chyangthapu were displaced and they have not yet returned to their homes. Prem Kafle, a displaced victim of Phidim, said they went pillar to post demanding to vacate their houses and lands. During the armed struggle, the government had also kept army camp inside Chyangthapu based Bishnu Secondary School. UML district secretary Ganesh Kambang said the Janaandolan Coordination Committee had proposed for compensation soon after establishment of loktantra. Panchthar CDO Dulluraj Basnet said frequent formal letters had been sent to various ministries, but to no avail.