GAINDAKOT: The landless squatters affiliated to the Unified CPN-Maoist have erected huts on the premises of Hotel Deluxe Satanchuli and Uncle Lodge, in the banks of the Narayani River in Gaindakot, within the past two days.

At a press conference organised here today, Dr Tilchandra Bhattarai, chairman of Hotel Deluxe Satanchuli, requested the political parties and the civil society to free the land from the squatters who already set up their huts.

He also said that the authorities should immediately discourage such incidents that are against the rule of law.

A flag of All Nepal Landless People's Union, aligned to the Maoists, has also been put up.

The Maoists, however, said that only the public land on the hotel premises was seized and distributed to the landless people.

According to BadriAdhikari, hotel manager, the hotel was started two years ago after purchasing the land with the investment of Rs 30 million. The hotel land spreads over the area of 16 kaththas of land.

After capturing the land, the Maoists have divided the land among 42 families. According to the landless people, they had built the huts in the public land as directed by the Union.

The proprietors of

the hotels, however, claimed that they had

not acquired any public land and the land encroached upon was their private property. The

entrepreneurs complained that their business was badly affected by the move of the landless people.

Meanwhile, Uttam Lal Chuke, chairman of Narayangadh Chamber of Commerce, issuing a press release, demanded to free the land seized by the landless people.