They were removed as they had built 500 sheds and tried to destroy the forest areas of the community forest taken care by the Jalkanya Community Forest Users Group of Bishnu Paduka, said officer of the District Forest Office, Sunsari, Raj Bahadur Raut.
They burned the houses and sheds in the presence of Armed Police, civil police and forest guards. There were tensions between the security forces and the landless at the time, but the clashes were averted.
Raut said they are removed as per the Forest Encroachment Control Policies 2068 BS. He said a team has been formed under the convenorship of Minister for Forest in the national level as per the forest policies.
The works were forwarded under the convenorship of Forest Secretary in the national level and CDO in the district level.
They stopped vehicular traffic to Bishnupaduka from Dharan and themselves pulled down old huts saying the law should be one for all, as the administration had spared some old huts and sheds.
Police had taken the situation under control as there was a possibility of clashes between the old and new landless people.
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