Khotang, August 7

Khotang’s Diktel-Rupakot-Majhuwagadhi Municipality demolished seven illegal structures built on the Mid-hilly highway today as a part of its demolition campaign that started on Monday.

Seven unauthorised structures of Diktel Ratnapark and Bamrang built within 31 metres from the middle of the road were pulled down with the help of an excavator today, after the municipality’s frequent calls to the owners of such structures to remove them on their own were ignored.

According to Mayor Dip Narayan Rijal’s political adviser Kamal Dhakal, illegal shanties belonging to Gyan Bahadur Rai, Ramkaji Khatri, Kedar Shrestha in Ratnapark of Diktel  and those belonging to Durga Bahadur Karki, Tek Bahadur Baraili, Prakash Adhikari and Ramala Rai in Bamrang were pulled down.

On the first day of the campaign, four illegal shanties on the highway were pulled down in Bamrang and Diktel’s Alchhedhunga on Monday.

The municipality has vowed to give continuity to the demolition drive in the future too.

“Once we’ve finished removing the shanties built mainly to run shops, we will start removing the houses built by encroaching the road area,” said Mayor Rijal, adding so far four houses have encroached the road area and need to be removed.

Meanwhile, locals have accused the municipality of acting without giving them enough time to clear the structures on their own.

Earlier, Halesi-Tuwachung Municipality had removed illegal structures built by encroaching government land around the Halesi Shrine nearly two years ago.

As per the rule, the municipality can remove structures built by violating the government criteria and structures built without approval from the municipality at any time. The cost of removal of such structures shall have to be borne by the owners themselves.