Kailali's local levels in dispute over territory; tussle for river mining tax

DHANGADHI: The local levels in Kailali district have been engaged in a tussle for collecting taxes from mining and extraction of aggregates from the same rivers linking Chure range.

The tussle for tax collection has provoked dispute about the border.

Gauriganga Municipality, in August last year, contracted Dahal Multi Traders, a company, to collect mining tax of Rs 30.7 million from rivers — Likma, Kataini, Rajipur, Gauriganga and Shivaganga — linking Chure range. Also, Chure Rural Municipality contracted three different companies to collect tax of Rs 14.5 million from those rivers.

The dispute arose as the contractor companies engaged by two local levels claimed the rivers as being located within their territory.

Gauriganga Deputy Mayor claimed that the municipality's territory extended up to the foothills of Chure range while Chure Rural Municipality had been collecting tax from three kilometres down the rivers located in the municipality.

On the contrary, Chure Rural Municipality Chair Dhana Bahadur Roka Magar argued that the Gauriganga Municipality authorities did not allow them to collect tax from the rivers that locate in its own vicinity. He said, the company engaged by Chure Rural Municipality has now demanded compensation of Rs 3 million due to the hindrance from Gauriganga.

The rural municipality chair Roka added that the District Coordination Committee did not pay attention even after being informed of the border dispute.

Likewise, Ghodaghodi Municipality and Mohanyal Rural Municipality are also in dispute about their border territory. The municipality's Chief Administration Officer Basanta Bahadur Bohora claimed that Mohanyal has claimed its territory 1.5km down the river into Ghodaghodi's territory and has contracted a company to collect tax of Rs 3.5 million on river mining. He said the DCC has already been requested to solve the border dispute.

In the same manner, Kailali's Godavari Municipality has written requesting the DCC to control mining and extraction of boulder and sand from local Khutiya River sighting the possible threat to human settlement from natural disaster, while the municipality has itself allowed mining in the same river and has contracted a company to collect tax, local representatives of Chure Rural Municipality have complained.

The dispute over territorial borders have erupted in the district as majority of the income depends on the tax on boulder and sand extraction among mining of natural resources.

Similarly, various local levels in Tarai are in dispute over territory.

Meanwhile, Sudurpaschim Province Economy Development and Natural Resources Committee Chair Harka Bahadur Kunwar said that the dispute could be brought to an end by mapping out the territory with reference to old maps. He opined that local level territory could be easier if the bill related to environment, which is in discussion, got endorsed.