JHAPA: Senior Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah, who resigned as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City to contest against KP Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5, is facing questions from voters regarding his previous tenure in Kathmandu.
During a Monday door-to-door campaign in Jhapa-5, a primary school teacher questioned Shah about issues such as waste management and squatter settlements in the capital.
Shah explained that foreign influence had affected his ability to fully manage Kathmandu’s waste and squatter problems.
“How much international interference was there in Kathmandu Metropolitan City? Even the Prime Minister exerted pressure on me. I couldn’t manage everything as I wanted because of foreign interventions in waste management,” he said.
He assured voters that no such external interference exists in Jhapa. “Here, there are only Nepali citizens. There are no foreign influences, so we can deliver results as intended,” Shah said.
When asked about dozers being used in squatter settlements in Thapathali, Shah denied conducting any such action personally but added that he faced strong resistance while coordinating with the Metropolitan and Nepal Police for necessary operations.
Regarding land ownership certificates for squatters, he noted that federal government instability delayed the process. “The Metropolitan had agreed to provide ownership certificates, but government changes every three months prevented implementation,” he said.
The teacher also raised local concerns, mentioning unfinished projects such as the Mechi Bridge and industrial park, and that squatters had not received land titles. In response, Shah drew a parallel to education, asking, “What percentage of students pass annually in your school?” Upon learning that 70–80% of students pass, he replied, “Just as it takes time to ensure all students pass, it takes time to provide land titles to squatters.”
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