No compensation without verified documents: Minister Rai

Kathmandu, June 23: Minister for Urban Development, Mohammad Istiyak Rai, has said the compensation to the lands left useless by the change in river course could not be ensured without government’s policy level decision.

He made it clear that there were legal hurdles to provide compensation to 188 ropanis of land made useless from Gokarna to Guheshwori section by the Bagmati River which changed its course overtimes. Minister Rai said it during the meetings of parliamentary committees on agriculture, cooperatives and natural sources, and the development of technology.

Among 614 ropanis of land said to be considered for compensation, compensation was given to the people for 426 ropanis, but the legal hurdle persisted in case of remaining 188 ropanies, he reiterated. For years, the locals from Gokarna to Guheshwori have been demanding compensation to 188 ropanies of land on which the Bagmati River changed its course for several times.

Minister Rai further argued that if the government continued spending money on such demand without having any verified documents, the State treasury would deplete on compensation to lands. He also stressed that further decision on it could not be taken without garnering suggestion from the Ministry of Law, and Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.

The people near the embankment of the Bagmati River have been agitating and obstructing government activities of the embankment along the river, sewage management, clean and green project and others from Shivapuri to Chobhar. Various lawmakers questioned Minister Rai over the locals’ demands and legal hurdles. RSS