GORKHA, April 5: Locals have warned to launch protests if the compensation for flood-damaged houses and plantations from the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project is not distributed within next week. The project is being constructed on the border of Dhading and Gorkha districts.

The Budhigandaki Hydropower Project National Concern Committee on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to the Environment, Compensation, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Unit Office and drew the attention of the project’s chief.

Hare Ram Dhakal, coordinator of the concern committee, said that the issues recommended by the Compensation Determination Committee of both the districts while determining the land compensation should be decided by the Council of Ministers and implemented. "The compensation for the remaining land and houses has to be given immediately," he said.

The locals are demanding compensation of Rs 773,000 for a ropani of land that has access to road and falls in a residential area, as determined by the District Compensation Determination Committee. According to Dhakal, the decision to pay 15 percent compensation to those with less than five ropanis of land and 10 percent additional compensation to those with less than 10 ropanis of land has not been implemented.

The committee has demanded relocation, guarantee of rehabilitation and that no tax should be levied on the compensation of houses, cowsheds and plantations for the people of affected areas. Also, the amount of compensation for the residents of affected areas should be given and taken from the government-owned bank only and work should be started for the construction of Budhi Gandaki ring road immediately.

Meanwhile, Jagat Kumar Shrestha, head of the Budhi Gandaki project unit, said that he would immediately expedite the process of determining and distributing the remaining compensation. Stating that discussions are underway with the chief district officers of both Dhading and Gorkha districts, he said that the issue of distribution of the compensation for affected houses and plantations will be resolved immediately. The Environment, Compensation, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Unit Office has planned to fix the compensation by April 13. The compensation for the land inundated by the project has already been distributed.

 
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