The roofs of the old huts at the liberated Kamaiya camp in Sani Ambapur are covered with road dust. Nearby, children from the camp are playing in the piles of dust, gravel and sand of the Ghorahi-Tulsipur road, which has been under construction for seven years. Some women from the camp are tending to the greens.

53 households in the liberated Kamaiya settlement, 5 kilometers from Ghorahi, have been without land documents since 2061. It is in Dang's constituency number 2, where candidates have been seeking votes in every election for the past 20 years, saying they will provide land documents, and their assurances have not changed this year either. 

Santoli Chaudhary of the camp said that she has not received land documents for 20 years. She said that the government collects taxes from this settlement, but instead of land documents, only vouchers for the money received are being handed over. 'During elections, leaders of all parties come, show hope. They go and say they will provide land documents and then never return,' said Santoli. 'It would have been better if they had measured the land and given land documents for the length of time we have lived. Our generation has passed. If this land was transferred to our name, our children and grandchildren would not have to say that we are Kamaiyas.'

The women of the camp said that after receiving land documents, they dream of building a solid house, putting it in a bank and doing business, and giving their children a good education. However, they say that they have to face threats from the administration when they try to build a pillared house or a water tank on land in the name of the government. "They say, 'Stay there until the land is arranged for you. How long will you live in such a hut?'" said Santoli.

Local Savita Chaudhary said that they have to look for a land title deed when trying to connect electricity. She says that a land title deed is required to enjoy the services provided by the government, but she has not received it yet. "We sent it for five years, but they returned after three years but did not bring the land title deed," she said.

Freed Kamaiyas are living on 25 bighas of land in Sani Ambapur, Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City-16, which is in the name of the District Administration Office. The freed Kamaiyas, who were exempted from taking inventory, have started living on that land since 4th Shrawan 2061. 120 families had built a hut on this land together. Some who have not received the land title deed here have migrated elsewhere.

Similarly, Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City-5 has a large settlement on the banks of Patukhola. In this settlement, which is made up of large concrete houses, none of the people who built houses and live there have land titles in their names. It has been 21 years since the residents here have been asking for land titles. Leaders have been asking for votes in every election, saying that they will give them land titles.

The settlement, which started living on the banks of the river since 2061, has now become a big city. The leaders who came to ask for votes in the last election of 2079 had promised to give land titles. Three years later, the leaders came to ask for votes again, but their land titles did not come. The people of Dang-3 are also paying taxes, they only get vouchers. 

Parbati Wali Pun of Tulsipur-5, Buddhanagar Tol, who is paying land tax but has not received proof of ownership, said. ‘The leaders said they would give land titles, but they did not. It is okay for the leaders to fight on their own,' she said, 'The roads and drains are in disarray. Earlier, during the elections, they said that it would be done tomorrow. It has not happened yet.' Even now, leaders of all parties are coming to seek votes, but now they have lost faith in the leaders.

Local Dhan Bahadur Giri is also fed up with the leaders' assurances. Along with the land problem, he is also suffering from water supply. 'Every time an election comes, leaders come saying that they will solve all the problems,' he said, 'Now we cannot believe them until we get the land title deeds.' Suryalal Kunwar is also sad that the election promises have not been fulfilled. 'Even after living in the same place for 20 years, we have not received the land title deeds,' he said, 'The leaders have forgotten that they will get them.'

Lalmati Bhandari, who was elected as a ward member from the settlement, also says that she is fighting regularly about the problems of the settlement. She said that despite constantly raising her voice in favor of the settlement, it has not been resolved. ‘Lalpurja, drinking water, roads, and drains are the main problems here,’ she said. ‘It seems that all party leaders should come together and make the necessary legal arrangements to provide Lalpurja. The process has been long and has not been able to work.’

There was a long debate on whether to establish or remove the settlement, but no proper solution was found. On the contrary, the settlement continued to expand. Now, 3,500 households have reached it. Even though the land is not registered, buying and selling is being done through toll development organizations. There are 27 toll development organizations in the settlement. The toll development organizations themselves provide certificates stating ‘Ailani Gharghaderi Temporary Landowner Registration Certificate’ to land buyers. Based on that, the ward office also gives recommendations to get any government service like electricity and water. The sub-metropolitan city is also giving its consent by collecting taxes.

Not only public land, but also the land of Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City in Alumandi at Buspark has been encroached upon and the settlement has been established. Ward No. 5B Plot No. 97 houses have been built on 1 bigha 10 katta 14 dhur land of plot no. 544. 19 houses have been built on 3 katta land of plot no. 545. 36 houses have been built on 11 katta land of plot no. 546 and 47 houses have been built on 7 bigha 13 katta land of plot no. 4993.

The sub-metropolitan city had initially issued a notice warning the encroached land to be vacated and that if not, it would remove the houses and huts itself and vacate them, but the notice remained limited to notice. Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City Chief Tikaram Khadka said that it was difficult to remove the encroached land after the settlement was settled and that it was necessary to provide necessary services and facilities.

The National Vigilance Center had conducted an on-site study in 2076 BS regarding the arbitrary occupation and sale of public land in Tulsipur and had also made a report public. The study conducted by the center has concluded that land mafias have illegally occupied and sold 1,000 bighas of public land stretching north and south of the concrete bridge of Gwarkhola in Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City-16. 

The center had directed the Chief District Officer and Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City on February 12, 2076, to take action against those who occupy and sell land and to make arrangements for proper protection of public land. Similarly, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had also written to Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City on February 13, 2076 to take necessary action regarding the occupation and sale of public land.

Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City had also issued a public notice to vacate the land and had written to the District Administration Office, Area Police Office, Tulsipur, and Armed Police Base Camp, Tulsipur three times, requesting their cooperation in this regard. Neither all these efforts were successful nor did the residents here receive the land title deeds. Since people living on the banks of Patukhola can change the election results themselves, its management has become even more complicated.