A joint bench of Judges Ekraj Acharya and Satyaraj Gurung on Sunday issued the interim order directing the government to put any action against the squatters on hold till the next 35 days. [break]
A statement issued by the court states that the stay order was necessary to give an option to the settlers considering the substantial number of children, women, differently-abled and elderly people living in the community.
Earlier, a single bench of Judge Rajendra Prasad Bhandari had issued an order asking the government not to remove the settlements till December 11.
The landless squatters have been staging street protests for the last few days against the move of the High Power Committee for Integrated Bagmati Civilization to remove them.
There are an estimated 12,000 landless squatters in the Kathmandu Valley, most of whom have settled along the Bagmati River.
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