There have been two attempts to encroach on 3 bighas of land located in Dargapur, Madhuban Municipality-8, Bardiya, within a five-month period.
What you should know
The land of the Cotton Development Committee in Madhuban is becoming unsafe. The committee's 3 bighas of land located in Durgapur, Madhuban Municipality-8, has become unsafe in recent times.
The land has been neglected in its protection and the gangs that are trying to grab the land have become active.
The building on the land, which was occupied by the Maoists during the armed conflict, was occupied by the Armed Police Force in 2064 BS after removing the encroachment. The land has been vacant since the Armed Police Force Nepal 31 Battalion moved to Gulariya Municipality-8 Surajpur four years ago.
There have been two attempts to encroach on the land in the space of five months. Last Ashar, Madhuban Municipality, on the pretext of clearing a road without any coordination with the Cotton Development Committee, demolished the fence installed on the land and uprooted 27 large green trees of the sagun and sisau varieties.
Even though the district administration immediately stopped the felling after the Cotton Development Committee filed a petition, Madhuban Municipality was not brought under the ambit of action. Madhuban Municipal Executive Spokesperson and Ward 8 Ward Chairman Mekh Bahadur Gurung said that some trees were cut down as per the executive's decision to open a road from the land.
The land was unfenced since the municipality demolished the fence of the land and uprooted the trees. More than 150 people had set up tents overnight on Kartik 16 with the aim of occupying the same land.
Landless people from Bardiya, Dailekh, Jajarkot and others were sitting there holding banners of the Nepal Shuddha Bhumihin Swatantra Party. Chief District Officer Gogan Bahadur Hamal said that the police removed the people who had occupied the land of the Cotton Development Committee that night. 'I have told the committee to fence the land,' said Pradya Hamal.
Executive Director of the committee, Birendra Raj Parajuli, said that the cost estimate for installing a new fence was being prepared in Ashar since Madhuban Municipality demolished it. He said that the fence will be installed soon after the contract process is completed.
Apart from this, the Cotton Development Committee also has land in Jamuni in Bardiya, Banke and Dang. There is 5 bighas of land in Jamuni in Bardiya with a red certificate in its name. Half of which is occupied by the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police temporarily, while cotton is being cultivated in the other half. Similarly, there is 3 bighas of land with a red certificate in Madhuban Municipality-8. There are trees and buildings in two bighas, while cotton is grown in 1 bigha.
'The name of the committee is in the field book of 1,320 bighas of land covering Kumbhar village, Gulariya municipality and Badhaiyatal rural municipality in Barbardiya,' said Director Parajuli, 'However, the land for which the committee has not been able to obtain land titles has been occupied and used by squatters since the conflict.'
The primary processing machine is operational in Khajura, Banke, where the Cotton Development Committee's head office is located, and cotton is being cultivated on 1 bigha. Similarly, 3 bighas of land in Tari village of Dang is not suitable for cotton cultivation.
The Cotton Development Committee, established in 2037 BS, was profitable from 2046 to 2060 BS. The committee is currently forced to operate on government grants.
