They have put forward demands for the establishment of community forest users' committees and the abolition of such forests.
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The victims have locked up four community forest offices, alleging that the community forests here are obstructing their ability to obtain land titles for the land they have been using for the past three decades.
They locked the offices of Chautari, Dhuseri, Baratandi and Amar Community Forests in Devchuli Municipality as soon as the office opened on Friday. They claim that the community forest is an obstacle to obtaining ownership certificates for the land they have been using for years. After the District Land Commission officials informed them that they were not authorized to give land to those living in the community forest, the local squatters formed a struggle committee and started the movement.
The squatters have been living near the locked community forest for years. Deepak Rasaili, vice-chairman of the struggle committee Devchuli, said that they locked the community forest after receiving information that the forest was an obstacle to obtaining community land ownership certificates. He said that they locked the community forest in protest because the previous District Land Commission had informed them that land ownership certificates could not be given to squatters living under the cover of the community forest area.
They have put forward the demand for a community forest user committee and the abolition of such forests. There are statistics that about 800 households living in the forest area (community forest) of Devchuli Municipality are squatters who have not received land ownership certificates. Four months ago, the Land Commission had issued land ownership certificates to only 150 households in Devchuli. More than 1,500 squatters have been living here.
