KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah has stepped up preparations to remove encroached squatter settlements, directing security agencies to launch a clearance campaign starting this weekend.
Shah summoned the chiefs of major security agencies to Singha Durbar last evening, where he instructed them to begin operations from Saturday and Sunday, according to sources.
Now also overseeing the Home Ministry, the Prime Minister discussed strategy, coordination, and deployment plans during the meeting. The campaign is expected to begin in the Kathmandu Valley before being gradually expanded to other parts of the country.
Sources at the Prime Minister’s Office said security agencies have been asked to remain on standby to implement the decision to clear settlements built on public land. Discussions also covered manpower mobilization, inter-agency coordination, and how to handle potential resistance.
“The work of clearing encroached squatter settlements should begin immediately. The campaign will start in Kathmandu this Saturday and Sunday,” a source quoted the prime minister as saying. “Local governments should already have been informed. Security agencies must coordinate with them and provide necessary support.”
Shah had previously attempted to remove such settlements during his tenure as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. However, those efforts faced strong resistance from residents and a lack of cooperation from the then government.
Now leading the federal government, he has revived the initiative.
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