Talking to Republica, coordinator of Bageshwari preservation committee Shanta Pokharel said they were taken aback when the chief district officer informed them of the government´s deal with the college.[break]
“We had met the chief district officer to complain to him that the college was still functioning in the area. Instead we were informed that the government has once again leased the land for three years,” he said.
Twenty-eight hectares of land in the area was provided on March 1994 to the college for 49 years. However, the decision faced severe criticism and a case was filed in the Supreme Court immediately. Three years later, the court dismissed the government´s decision. But the college defied the court verdict.
Representatives of Devghat Area Development Committee, Bageshwari Spiritual Council and local Jaladevi Baandabhar Community Forest then decided to launch a campaign to remove the college from the area.
“Despite the court verdict, the government has leased the area to the medical college,” Ganesh Bahadur Karki, chief district officer of Chitwan, said.
“This is a contempt of court. The building must be removed," advocate Kosh Raj Kafle, said.
The District Forest Office has issued several notices to the college to vacate the area in the past.
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