KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has objected to CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Oli’s aggressive comments against the metropolis’ attempts to evacuate the squatters settlement on the river banks in Kathmandu.

Responding to the UML chairman’s objection to the metropolitan city’s attempts to vacate the land occupied by the squatters, Balen asked the three times Prime Minister Oli to be reflective on his attempts to resolve the squatters’ problems during his premiership.

Stating that the metropolis had attempted to free the encroached land at the request and coordination of Empowered Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project,  Balen asked Oli to recount the substantive activities he (Oli) did for their (squatters) settlements.

“Even though 14 commissions were formed since 1990s, they could not solve the squatters’ problem of Kathmandu,” Balen said addressing UML chair Oli, adding “You never bothered about the cold winters the squatters were exposed to earlier while you were three times in power as Prime Minister, rather used them as vote banks.”

He asked Oli to let the metropolis execute its responsibilities as they were not driven by any petty political interest.