Bara, January 20

Hundreds families at Pathlaiya of Jitpur-Simara Sub-metropolitan City, Bara have not been able to use their lands for various purposes despite holding land ownership certificates.

These households secured their land ownership certificates 50 years after they settled there.

The Squatters Problem Solution Commission in 1999 had distributed land ownership certificates to as many as 500 people there.

A local Prakash Lamsal said the certificates were, practically, of no use for them. He added that they could not mortgage their lands in financial institutions nor transfer ownership to anyone.

He also said locals had already spent huge sums of money in constructing their houses and establishing their businesses in the area inhibited by as many as 726 households.

The locals had struggled a lot for their lands in the past.

Recalling their struggle, local social worker Ram Das Dhaiju said the certificates they received some 15 years ago had been useless now. “I am hopeful that local level representatives would help us in this matter,” he added.

Mayor Dr Krishna Poudel of the metropolis said he was upbeat about the problem being resolved soon.