KATHMANDU, June 7: The government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah is facing growing criticism, both from within the ruling coalition and outside it, over its handling of landless squatters displaced from riverbank settlements in Kathmandu.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Whip Krantishikha Dhital, Nepal Gen Z Front Coordinator Rakshya Bam, and Gatisheel Loktantrik Party leader Nisha Adhikari have all accused the government of failing to manage the eviction process with adequate planning and compassion.
In a social media post, Dhital said the tears of displaced squatters should weigh on everyone. She questioned whether the government's actions reflected the commitments made in its election manifesto and said the operation exposed "the state's weakness and incompetence" rather than responsible governance.
Rakshya Bam also criticized the government's approach, saying families were evicted without proper rehabilitation or planning. She alleged that authorities are now forcing displaced people to leave the holding center after halting food assistance.
Kathmandu Regional Slam welcomes aspiring slam poets
"The government knew the squatter issue could not be resolved overnight. It required time, a clear plan, adequate preparation, and at least some human compassion. Instead, it chose a bulldozer policy and destroyed people's entire lives," Bam wrote.
She also took aim at leaders who had previously vowed to stand in front of bulldozers to protect squatters, saying those promises had vanished once they came to power.
Sharing Dhital's post, Bam remarked that even a ruling party lawmaker was speaking out, while sarcastically questioning how government supporters would now respond to criticism from within their own ranks.
Galopa leader Nisha Adhikari echoed the criticism, saying Nepal's social values have always emphasized helping people in distress.
"I watch the suffering caused by wars in other countries, and now I see people in my own country suffering because of one person's arrogance. What is the difference?" she wrote, arguing that the government had caused unnecessary hardship to vulnerable families.
The criticism comes after the government ordered displaced families staying at temporary holding centers to vacate the facilities and shut down the community kitchen providing meals.
Under the government's new self-rehabilitation policy, families renting rooms are eligible for an initial assistance of Rs 25,000 and a monthly allowance of Rs 15,000 for up to three months after being verified as landless squatters.
Many displaced families, however, say the support is inadequate. They cite soaring rents, discrimination while searching for housing, and the lack of permanent resettlement as reasons they continue to struggle to secure food and shelter.
