The government is about to acquire the land between these two customs infrastructures to operate them in an integrated manner, which play a significant role in the country's foreign trade and revenue collection.
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The land acquisition process between Sirsia Dry Port and Integrated Security Check Post (ICP) in Sirsia, Birgunj Metropolitan City-25 has not yet reached a conclusion.
Although most of the compensation determined for the acquisition has been distributed, the process has been delayed due to legal complications for some families living on indigenous land.
According to Krishna Prasad Mainali, Chief Customs Administrator of Birgunj Customs Office, most of the landowners within the acquisition area have received the compensation. However, there is a problem in the distribution of compensation as the names of 8 landowners living on indigenous land are in the field book, but they do not have land ownership documents.
‘Even though their names are in government records, there is no legal basis for distributing compensation until there is proof of ownership,’ Mainali said. ‘There have been attempts to find a solution at the district level, but since this issue is beyond the jurisdiction of the local body or administration, a decision from the Council of Ministers is necessary.’
According to him, compensation worth about 5 billion rupees has been distributed so far. However, the subcommittees formed to evaluate the houses of the locals, ponds, trees and crops have not yet submitted their reports. After receiving those reports, the additional compensation amount will be determined and a budget will be sought from the Finance Ministry, and then the distribution process will be completed, he said. ‘It is estimated that about 200 million rupees will be required for the distribution of the remaining compensation,’ he said.
A total of 62 bighas of land and structures on it are included in the acquisition area. Of these, compensation for 59 bighas of land has been distributed so far, according to the Customs Office. The federal government started the land acquisition process between Sirsia Dry Port and ICP about a decade ago. The acquisition process was initiated as per the decision of the Government of Nepal on 17th Poush, 2073. Since then, compensation has been distributed to the locals through the District Administration Office.
According to the government standards, a maximum compensation of Rs. 6.77 million and a minimum of Rs. 2.46 million per kattha has been fixed in the area. 62 bighas of land belonging to the locals were blocked about 8 years ago for the acquisition process. There is currently a Khalwatola settlement and farmland of the locals between the Sirsia Dry Port, which came into operation two decades ago, and the ICP, which has been in operation for about eight years. Once the acquisition process is completed, these two important customs infrastructures will be directly connected.
Currently, both structures are under the jurisdiction of the Birgunj Customs Office. A large number of freight and empty vehicles move through these checkpoints daily. The government is going to acquire the land between these two customs infrastructures, which play an important role in the country's foreign trade and revenue collection, to operate them in an integrated manner.
The land between the Integrated Security Check Post in Birgunj and the Sirsia Dry Port is in the process of being acquired. Photo: Shankar Acharya/Kantipur
