Madhyapur Thimi, March 30:

The government’s plan to set up a fruit and vegetable market on the banks of the Manohara river in Madhyapur Thimi remains a pipedream, with squatters continuing the illegal occupation of the land.

Squatters occupy 90 ropanis of the proposed site for the proposed market, which is spread in an area of 200 ropanis. According to Padma Bahadur Sijapati, vice chairman of the Nepal Squatters’ Sub-Committee, around 7,000 people have been living on the land.

Locals say the land should be utilised properly. A local, Salil Khadka, said: “The squatters should be evicted immediately and infrastructure should be built for the vegetable market.” However, the squatters say they won’t leave the land unless the government makes an alternative arrangement for their accommodation. “We won’t leave the land unless the government offers us alternatives,” says Sijapati.

In 2005, Sher Bahadur Deuba, the then prime minister, had laid the foundation stone for construction work at the site spreading on 200 ropanis of land.

Deevakar Poudyal, programme director at the Agriculture Promotion and Market Development Directorate, said it was a mistake on the part of the then government to declare the land as a public property. “People started living there after they came to know that it was a public property.” “The present situation would not have arisen had the government occupied the land soon after foundation stone was laid,” he added.

According to Poudel, the Japanese government has assured assistance for the project. “The project will start once the land is evacuated.”