More than 1,000 ropanis of the Kirtipur-Balkhu campus of Tribhuvan University have been encroached on for years. Due to the lack of proper protection of the land taken by compensation during the establishment of the university, individuals and various governmental/non-governmental organizations have encroached upon it. Some land has been encroached even during road construction.

According to the University Registrar's Office, out of 3700 plantations, more than 1000 plantations are encroached upon and being used illegally. Rajukumar Shrestha, the head of General Administration Division, said that a high-level investigation commission had to be formed to investigate the land of the university. "Approximately 1,000 acres of land has been illegally encroached on by other individuals and groups outside the control of the University," he said. Beyond Kirtipur and Balkhu, hundreds of Ropani lands in the name of universities and private campuses have been encroached upon. And, he said that there is no definite information about how much has been encroached upon. 5 ropani land under the cover of public administration campus in Balkhu has been in the possession of local businessmen for 5 years. 

Local businessman Mohan Bahadur Basnet has taken the land of Trivi and operated the bus park of Tata Sumo. The university leased the land given to the university professors' association to the businessman. Even though the association canceled the land lease agreement at the university's initiative, Basnet continues to use it forcibly, says a Triva official. The Patan High Court has also ordered the return of the land taken by Basnet in the name of her niece Pratish to the University. Shrestha said that 5 ropani land was used for non-educational activities without even paying the rent. According to the registrar's office, no initiative has been taken to reclaim the said land even after informing the district administration office Kathmandu and the police complex Kathmandu. Trivi filed a complaint with the court's decision enforcement unit.

The land of the university encroached upon by the professors' union and the staff's union and the petrol pump operated there by the businessmen on rent. Photo: Hemant Shrestha/Kantipur

^{The professors say that even the police have illegally encroached on the land of the university. Kirtipur police circle has taken control of 5 ropani and Balkhu police unit has taken control of 1 ropani land. The officials including the former vice-chancellor made a voluntary decision and gave the land of the university to various organizations. While only the supreme body Tervi Sabha can take a decision on the land of the university.} 

After the then Vice-Chancellor Tirtharaj Khanian gave land to the Kirtipur police near the campus, the students protested, so the former Vice-Chancellor Dharmakant Baskota decided to give the land to the university a little away from the campus. No land has been given to any person or organization by decision of the assembly. Shrestha, the head of the General Administration Division, said that the land is registered in the name of Trivika, even though others have occupied it.

A group of ex-Minister of Education and former Minister of State has also taken over the land of the University and run a private school. A laboratory (lab) school has been operated on the land of one hundred and eight Ropani University. According to the registrar's office, the group of former education minister and MP Krishan Gopal Shrestha and former state minister and Congress leader Umesh Shrestha continued to do so even though the university repeatedly sent letters to remove it. An employee of the Vice-Chancellor's Office said that a leader with access to the Ministry of Education, the MP, took possession of the university's land and operated the school. 

In 2053, when the Ministry of Education made an unauthorized agreement, the land of the University was decided to be given to the Lab School for 15 years. But so far the land has not been returned. On the other hand, after the lab school started fencing the university land in the first week of March, the university stopped it. The school is currently being run as a public institution. Ex-ministers Shresthadway and other influential people are Guthiars. The employees say that even though they have written dozens of times to return the land, the lab school is being operated because it was given by the Ministry of Education. When Krishnagopal Shrestha was the Minister of Education in 2078, he made a decision to continue running lab schools against the law.

is not just that. There is data in the General Administration Division that even university professors and staff have encroached and misused university land. Nepal Professors Association, University Professors Association has taken the land of the university and constructed a building and rented it out. The professors' association has constructed a building on the land in front of the Trivi Moolgate on the Balkhu-Dakshinkali road and rented a dozen shutters. The union also collects the rent. 

An ex-employee of Trivia said that the land given by the agreement to build the office of the professors' union/organization has been illegally built and leased. The

association of Trivi employees has leased the land to a businessman to operate a petrol pump on the land next to the Moolgate. At present, a petrol pump is operating on that land of Trivi. The recently appointed vice-chancellor Kesharjung Baral told that he has an action plan to preserve and explore the university's land. The registrar's office is responsible for the protection of physical assets including land and land. Right now, the registrar is in the process of being appointed," he said. "After the appointment, I am planning to form a working group to take back the property, protect it and start the search." In some of those lands, professors' housing houses and offices have been set up and other lands have been leased. The professors' union collects rent by giving the land of Balkhu-Dakshinkali section to run the nursery. Employees say that the road has encroached only on the land of about 200 Ropani University in that area. The university administration has also given land for rearing cattle and building a monastery.

Likewise, 281 ropanis were given to Horticulture Center, 150 ropanis to BP Planetarium, and 30 ropanis to the National Ayurveda Research and Training Center under the Ministry of Health. 24 saplings have been provided to Kathmandu Valley Water Supply, Sundarighat and 13 saplings to Radha Swami Satsang Vyas. But the staff says that they have encroached more than that. 

The government decided to give 60 ropani land to build the Republic Pillar at Balkhu Height. But TRIV has decided to operate the specialized service of Maharajgunj teaching hospital there and took back 60 ropani land two years ago. 80 plots have been given to make cricket ground, bus park and garbage collection site about 100 plots. About 30 ropani land along with the land given to Radha Satsang has been taken by the Melamchi project. Netra Jyoti Sangh has been operating by renting 10 ropanis and Nepal Bank and Global IME Bank have leased 2/2 ropanis of land. 

A public road has been built within the university on about 200 ropani land. Vehicles traveling to and from Kirtipur travel from inside the university day and night. According to the University Registrar's Office, it seems that most of the land was given to various individuals and organizations during the time of Vice Chancellor Hira Bahadur Maharjan. He was the Vice Chancellor from July 2068 to July 2072. For the establishment of the university, the land was acquired at the rate of Rs 4 per plant in 2013 and Rs 6,000 per plant in 2033.

Even the land given by the donor in the name of the university has not been protected and used by the university. In Naikap Naigaon Bhanjyang area of ​​Kalanki-Thankot road section, 125 ropani land in the name of Trivika has been encroached by various people. When Trivi did not exercise its right of occupancy, the land was sold and distributed through 'land mafia' and people built houses. The land, which has not been used by the university for 56 years, has been bought by various people and has been built in the city. There was also a dispute about who owns 125 ropani land in Naikap due to the negligence of the university.