GORKHA, Aug 7: The people in the district who had lost their land in the Daraudi River flood 26 years ago are yet to receive compensation from the government.
The people in Gorkha had lost their arable land to the flood after the Daraudi River changed its course in 1987. The flood victims are still going from pillar to post hoping a relief package as well as requesting the concerned authorities to bring the river to its old course. [break]
“My five aanas of land was swept away by the river. I have landownership certificate but don´t know what to do with it,” said Bharat Kumal, one of the victims.
He also informed that the real victims did not get the land in the old course left by the river after new people grabbed the opportunity to claim their rights over the land.
Kosha Raj Kafle, a lawyer, informed that the government failed to provide due relief to the Daraudi flood victims. “On April 2, 2012 the Supreme Court had directed the government to provide compensation to the Daraudi flood victims after evaluating the loss,” said Kafle.
As per the procedure for the compensation, a district level Land Conservation Committee and a local level Daily Disaster Rescue Committee should be formed to prepare the details of the loss. Based on the details prepared by the two committees, the Survey Department should measure the land swept way by the river. Only after that, the victims can claim for compensation. But, nothing has been done in this regard so far.
Kafle opined that the Daraudi flood victims are yet to receive compensation for the loss because there is lack of real data of the flood victims, and that non-victims have occupied the land in the river banks.
“Those who have political influence at the local level grabbed the land by the river, leaving the real victims devoid of the land,” said Dipak Thapa, coordinator of an ad hoc committee formed by the flood victims, who himself had lost 11 ropanis of land in the river flood.
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