KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balen Shah has said that residents of high-risk settlements along Kathmandu’s riverbanks have been relocated as part of ongoing urban safety measures.
Responding to a question raised by Shram Sanskriti Party MP RN Rai in Sunday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister said the government is also working to provide land for citizens who do not own property elsewhere in the country.
He said that people living along riverbanks were at constant risk due to flooding and poor living conditions.
“When people lived on riverbanks, their houses were at risk of being swept away. Their health conditions were poor, and they were affected by garbage and pollution,” he said. “They were relocated from the riverbanks to save their lives.”
Shah added that multiple ministries are working on arrangements to provide land to displaced squatters, noting that the process will take time.
“This cannot be done in a hurry. Let’s not try to do in 35 minutes what hasn’t been done in 35 years,” he said.
Responding to a separate question on the Kalapani boundary issue, he reiterated that while Nepal has raised concerns over Indian encroachment, there have also been reports suggesting encroachment on land in several places within India.
The Prime Minister also said the government is working to return money to cooperative fraud victims through a cooperative relief fund. He informed the House that funds collected from cooperatives have already been distributed to affected individuals.
“We have collected Rs 30 million from cooperatives and provided it to the victims,” he said.
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