Landless and unplanned settlers in Makwanpur have drawn the attention of the federal government and local authorities, demanding the provision of land ownership certificates.
They submitted a memorandum on May 4, 2026, through the Chief District Officer, Basanta Adhikari to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Mina Kumari Lama, calling for a long-term solution. The settlers have also urged the immediate withdrawal of notices that restrict their right to housing.
According to Kamal Chandra Suman, Chairperson of Nepal Basobas Protection Society, Makwanpur, they have demanded ownership certificates for the land they have been occupying for years through the Land Problem Resolution Commission formed under the Land Act 1964.
The memorandum states that notices issued by various authorities to vacate government, public, and forest land have had a serious impact on the right to housing. They complain that although successive governments have expressed commitments to resolve the landless issue since the political change of 1990, the expected progress has not been achieved.
According to Suman, unplanned settlers have also contributed to the development of basic infrastructure such as drinking water, roads, schools, and electricity. However, they have expressed dissatisfaction over the failure to implement the recommendations and reports of commissions, task forces, and government mechanisms formed in the past.
They have demanded the implementation of the right to housing as guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the effective enforcement of the Land Act, 1964, and its related directives. They have also urged the government to comply with the provisions of the International Labour Organization conventions and human rights standards.
Stating that the state’s treatment of landless and unplanned settlers is against the spirit of the Constitution, they have called, through the memorandum, for immediate, concrete decisions to ensure dignified settlement.
Receiving the memorandum, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Lama stated that no citizen should be forced to become landless under the Constitution and expressed commitment to ensure proper management without violating rights. She clarified that the federal government has no plan to intimidate or displace citizens and assured that landless people in Hetauda would be managed with dignity.
Meanwhile, as the federal government has begun preparations to clear encroached areas in districts beyond the Kathmandu Valley, protests have started to grow in various parts of the country. In districts including Kathmandu, Parsa, Makwanpur, and Bardiya, landless and freed bonded laborers have staged demonstrations and submitted memorandums to the Prime Minister through local administrations.
In Hetauda, on May 4, 2026, landless settlers organized a rally from Thanabharyang to the District Administration Office. Following the Home Ministry’s directive to collect data on encroached settlements, concerns among the landless community have further increased.