DOLAKHA, July 15: Tamakoshi Rural Municipality of Dolakha recently purchased land for 19 squatter families, as stated in the local unit's policies and programs for the last fiscal year to provide land to those families which have been landless for the past three generations.
According to the details provided by the rural municipality, there are altogether 19 squatter families living in wards 1 to 4 of the local unit. Ishwar Chandra Pokharel, chairperson of Tamakoshi, handed land ownership certificates to the squatter families amid a function on Saturday. According to him, the local unit's municipal assembly last year had decided to provide land to these squatters.
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Actually, the local unit had provided a grant of Rs 150,000 each to these squatter families to purchase land for themselves. Chairperson Pokharel said those squatter families who have been assured of the reconstruction grant from the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) will be able to start the construction of their houses as they now have land. "This year we provided them their land but we are planning to allocate certain budget in the upcoming fiscal year to help them build their houses," said Chairperson Pokharel.
Bhim Bahadur Bhujel of Jhule seemed excited after receiving the land ownership certificate. "We were long living on the land of the landlord by making a hut," said Bhujel, adding, "The local unit has provided us land. Now, we will be able to build our own house."
On Saturday, the rural municipality did not only distribute the land ownership certificates but also awarded some outstanding students of the local unit. It also provided grants to farmers of all seven wards who have been doing commercial farming. Speaking at the function, Chairperson Pokharel encouraged the farmers to start commercial farming.