Slum dwellers and people living in squatters settlements staged a protest rally in New Bus Park, Kathmandu today against the government’s recent decision to scrap the Land related Problem Resolution Commission (LPRC).
The protest was organized by the Youth Association Nepal aligned to the KP Sharma Oli faction of CPN-UML.
Demanding LPRC’s reinstatement, the
protestors displayed banners that read, ‘We need love, not humiliation’ and ‘You’ve taken away our land, now take away our citizenship too’.
“I lost my job due to the pandemic, it is a fearful situation for us already. Now, on top of it, our lands might be confiscated. We don’t know how we are going to survive like this. New rules related to land reforms are formulated every time there’s a change of government. As citizens of this country, we have every right to live here,” said 40-year-old Sunita Pariyar, who lives in a squatter settlement near Balaju.
On August 3, the Cabinet meeting led by newly appointed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba decided to scrap LPRC.
The Commission was formed by the erstwhile KP Sharma Oli-led government on 14 April, 2020 and was headed by CPN-UML’s Chitwan-based leader Devi Gyawali.
CPN-UML has also formally asked the government to revoke its decision of scrapping LPRC and rather focus on addressing contemporary issues.
By Nishant S Gurung,
