Normal life was affected across the district due to the strike called by members of Chandipokhari Khamba Camp protection struggle committee. The public land along the Trishuli River is known as “Khamba camp” and spreads across 550 ropanis of land. [break]
While vehicles stayed off the roads for the entire day, all academic institutions, markets and industries remained closed in the district.
The agitating locals say that the government should not relocate the landslide victims to the banks of the river as fields are used for cattle grazing. “We resorted to protest as the District Administration Office did not pay heed to our request,” said Govinda Nepali, a member of the struggle committee.
Some two weeks ago, the committee had submitted a seven-point memorandum to Chief District Officer Dulu Raj Basnet demanding that the victims be relocated to some other place.
However, a cabinet meeting on May 23 decided to rehabilitate the 111 households of Kintang village affected by the landslide to the Khamba camp in Bidur Municipality.
As per the decision, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) is currently preparing to hand over the Khamba camp to the landslide victims within this week.
The government has decided to relocate the locals to the Khamba camp, informed CDO Basnet.
“It is true the empty space along the river is widely used for cattle grazing. But it is also equally necessary to relocate the landslide victims and end their decades-long suffering,” he added. He further appealed to the agitating locals to think rationally and call off the indefinite strike.
Meanwhile, Nepali said the government should instead relocate the victims to Deurali Bhangyang, near the landslide-affected Kintang village. In the year 1985, the government had decided to build a prison in the area.
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