According to government data from 2022 BS, the Nepal government has 1 million ropanis of Guthi land in hill areas, 100,000 bighas in the Tarai and 60,000 ropanis in Kathmandu Valley. [break]
A meeting held at Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal´s offices and attended by ministers, secretaries and Guthi representatives last Tuesday decided to retrieve Guthi lands seized by individuals.
"Preliminary investigation shows that only one-tenth of total Guthi land remains intact. Rest of the land has been encroached by locals, politicians, CDOs, police chiefs or high ranking government officials," said Manoj Kumar Shah, chairperson of Dhanusha District Guthi Operation Support Committee. Shah was present at Tuesday´s meeting.
The meeting prioritized areas for retrieving seized Guthi land, mainly in Janakpur of Dhanusa and various places of Kathmandu. According to Shah, more then 200 bighas of Guthi land in Janakpur Municipality has been captured by politicians and high-ranking government officials.
The meeting decided to first collect details across the country from those who allegedly possess Guthi land. "The Ministry of Land Reform and Management and other agencies concerned are instructed to collect and furnish details about encroached Guthi lands within 15 days," reads the PMO decision, adding, "The Land Reform Ministry and agencies concerned should first conduct investigations against those who illegally possess such lands."
Suspecting that high ranking government and police officers have also captured Guthi land since years back, the meeting has decided to seek Guthi land details from CDOs, police officers and high ranking officials who worked in Dhanusha in the course of the past 10 years. PMO has asked them to furnish details within 15 days.
According to the PMO decision, the government will start destroying houses found built illegally on Guthi land in Janakpur and Kathmandu. "PMO hereby instructs local administrations to destroy houses and sheds built on encroached Guthi land," states the decision paper.
PMO has also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and local police to cooperate with officials of the Ministry of Land Reform and Management and other agencies in the campaign to return captured Guthi lands across the country.
PMO has asked the Ministry of Land Reform and Management to furnish the exact figure on Guthi land across the country within 15 days.
"What should be the exact figure for Guthi lands and what is the current status. PMO hereby asks the Land Reform Ministry to furnish Guthi land details within 15 days," reads the decision.
According to Shah, priests at Ram-Janaki temple in Janakpur are responsible for the rampant encroachment of Guthi land in Dhanusa. "Our investigation shows that temple priests Ram Tapeshwor Das Baishnab, Jagannath Das Baishnab, Baikuntha Bihari Das Baishnab and Ram Ekwal Das among others had permitted politicians and government officials to register Guthi land in the name of individuals.
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