KATHMANDU, Oct 1: As many as 1,749 bighas of land of ‘Nepal Government Railway’ has been encroached upon. The land designated for the Raxaul-Amlekhgunj railway has been encroached upon by people and industries. ‘Nepal Government Railway’ was established by the then Prime Minister Chandra Sumsher Rana in 1927.
The infrastructure and the land of the railway have remained unprotected after it was closed in 1965. Individuals and industries have encroached upon over 66-feet wide land stretching over 22 kilometers from the powerhouse of Birgunj to Pathlaiya of East-West highway.
Land mafia register 4.5 bighas of govt land in individual’s nam...
The total area of land alongside the Tribhuvan Highway is 442,561 square kilometers, which is equivalent to 1,749 bigha. The priceless land has been added to private property. Many encroachers have claimed ownership of the land through new measurements. Houses, petrol pumps, warehouses, factories and industries have been established on the railway’s land. Human settlements and even government infrastructures have been made in Parwanipur, Jeetpur and Simara.
A 31-kilometer long railway was constructed with the support of the British government who ruled India at the time to introduce railway service to Nepal. The railway was not only used to transport cargo but people as well. The Nepali government had also procured over 16 bighas of land in Raxaul, India in 1927 from the British government. That land has also been encroached upon.
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