Land survey begins in Pancheshwor to allocate plots for squatters

Baitadi: Surveying work has commenced in Pancheshwor Rural Municipality of Baitadi to provide land to squatters.

The rural municipality has initiated a technology-based survey in coordination with the District Office of the Land Problem Resolution Commission for squatters and unorganized settlers.

According to Ramesh Pandey, district chair of the Land Problem Resolution Commission, applications have been collected from all 10 local levels in the district, with 400 squatters and 2,700 unorganized settlers registering their requests.

In Pancheshwor Rural Municipality, there are 59 identified squatters and 400 unorganized settlers. Rural Municipality Chairman Gorakh Bahadur Chand said that after verification of the 59 squatters, technicians have begun surveying land. The survey has started in Jaibata, located in Ward No. 4 along the Mahakali Corridor, with the aim of settling squatters in a single location.

Local land management facilitator Nariram Lohar said that vacant land in Jaibata has been identified for developing an integrated settlement.

The rural municipality stated that establishing such a settlement would facilitate access to essential services such as electricity, drinking water, education, and healthcare. A facilitator has been appointed by the rural municipality, while the Land Commission has deployed technicians for the survey, Pandey added.

He further informed that once the surveying work in Pancheshwor is completed, similar processes will begin in other local levels. Although land distribution efforts have been initiated multiple times in the past, implementation had not progressed. Local resident Ragi Luhar expressed renewed hope following the start of the survey.

Squatter communities in the area have been awaiting land allocation since 2052 BS. At that time, a commission led by Govinda Prasad Kalauni had distributed land ownership certificates to 250 individuals in Baitadi, but the corresponding land could not be identified.