CHITWAN, May 9: More than 41,000 landless Dalits, squatters and unmanaged settlers have been identified in Chitwan, according to the now-dissolved Land Problem Settlement Commission (LPSC).
The LPSC said 41,282 people across the district’s seven local units have been recorded, including 24,462 unmanaged settlers.
Speaking at a press conference, former LPSC Chitwan chairperson Iman Singh Lama said land-related issues in Chitwan are relatively manageable, except in areas around Hanuman Jhula in Madi and along the Narayani riverbank.
Applications of 1.2 million landless people collected
According to the LPSC, the district has 4,137 landless Dalits and 12,462 landless squatters, with the highest numbers recorded in Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Rapti Municipality.
Lama said the LPSC distributed land ownership certificates to 840 households despite facing repeated disruptions during his 14-month tenure.
“We barely got more than three and a half months to work,” Lama said, blaming delays in staff deployment, the Gen Z movement, the dissolution of the commission, and later election code of conduct restrictions for slowing progress.
He claimed Chitwan performed better than any other district in addressing landlessness under difficult circumstances.
Lama also said the process suffered a major setback after around 9,000 files related to over 17,000 land plots were destroyed during the Gen Z movement.
-1778309205.webp)
