KATHMANDU: The Nepal Army has started collecting data on squatters across the country while backing ongoing settlement clearance operations in Kathmandu Valley, it has been revealed.
The development comes after informal settlements in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur were demolished since Friday under an eviction drive reportedly initiated on the direct instruction of Prime Minister Balen Shah.
Sources say the Army, which had moved out of barracks as a backup force during the clearance of riverbank settlements, is now actively involved in compiling data on squatters nationwide.
The Army Headquarters has reportedly sent letters to all local levels seeking details of squatter settlements. According to internal circulars, Army units including battalions and companies have also been mobilized to assist in collecting such data.
Following directives from the military headquarters, district-based Army units have written to local governments requesting detailed information on informal settlements.
The government is preparing to expand the eviction drive beyond the Kathmandu Valley, with clearance operations already underway in parts of the capital region.
In its communication, the Army has stated that the data collection is part of the government’s 100-point governance reform agenda led by the Shah administration, which includes mapping landless and unorganized settlements.
The Army also mentioned that a phased plan is being implemented to provide land to genuine squatters based on verified data, which is why local governments have been asked to submit records.
The Army had issued letters on April 25 giving local bodies a 48-hour deadline to submit details, with many of these communications now coming into public view.
However, Army spokesperson Assistant Rathi Rajaraj Basnet said the data collection is being carried out based on government plans and decisions of the District Security Committees.
He said the Nepal Army participates as a permanent member of district security committees and is assisting in implementing government decisions.
He further stated that once data is collected from all concerned bodies, an integrated national database will be prepared.
Meanwhile, critics have noted that during the initial demolitions in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, there were no prior consultations with the Cabinet or relevant ministers, including the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
Reports also suggest that the Prime Minister had directly instructed security agency heads to begin eviction operations without formal Cabinet-level discussion.
Following those instructions, demolition work has continued in settlements since Saturday, while the Army’s parallel data collection exercise has also intensified.
Army officials, however, maintain that they are not engaging in any independent political decision-making and are only supporting government-directed operations.
Comment