Out of a total of 833 bighas of land within the Special Economic Zone premises, only 343 bighas of land is currently under the ownership of the Special Economic Zone Authority.
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490 bighas of land owned by Simara in the Special Economic Zone have been encroached. Out of a total of 833 bighas of land in the Special Economic Zone premises, only 343 bighas of land are currently under the control of the Special Economic Zone Authority.
According to Pappu Giri, Site In-charge of the Authority, efforts have been made to remove the encroached land and the houses built there since the economic zone came into operation, but they have been unsuccessful. This land, previously owned by the Birgunj Sugar Factory, was handed over to the Ministry of Industry in the fiscal year 2062/063 for the construction of the country's first Special Economic Zone.
After that, the Ministry of Industry has been operating it through the Special Economic Zone Project since 2064/065, then the Special Economic Zone Development Committee and currently the Special Economic Zone Authority.
A total of 833 bighas of land is divided into 5 blocks from A to E. Except for 343 bighas of Block A, all the remaining land is currently encroached. When the Birgunj Sugar Factory was established in 2020 BS, the factory purchased the land for sugarcane cultivation. At that time, the factory management had placed some workers there for sugarcane cultivation, and those workers were given 6/6 kath of land for construction of houses and farming.
They are still using the land they received temporarily. After the children of those workers grew up and left, some people from outside have come and settled in the land of the economic zone and are farming. Currently, about 600 houses have been built on the land of the economic zone. The Birgunj Sugar Factory has now been abolished. The employees there have also retired.
Economic Zone Authority Chief Giri said that despite repeated attempts in the past, those who illegally encroached and even farmed have not given up their occupation. "Currently, after receiving instructions from the federal government, efforts are being made to remove the encroachment in collaboration with the Jitpur Simara Sub-metropolitan City," he said. "The District Administration Office has also been sent a letter from the central office in this regard. We are coordinating and trying to remove the encroachment as soon as possible."
