Local residents of Birgunj metropolis-25 Sirsia Khalwatola protested in front of the dry port on March 20. They staged a sit-in in front of the main gate of the dry port alleging that there has been a delay in the distribution of compensation for the land to be acquired by the government. A large number of local women participated in the dharna.

Although the government started the process of acquiring 62 bighas of land in the Sirsia Khalwatola area in 2017, it has not been completed yet. According to the instructions of the Ministry of Finance, the process of land acquisition was started by adding 11 bighas in 71 years and 51 bighas in 073 years. But even after 8 years, the process has not been completed. Still, some local people have not received the compensation that the government would give them.

The land being acquired by the government is situated between the two main customs ICPs and the Dryport of Birgunj. Birgunj Customs looks after trade by road while Sirsia Dry Port looks after trade through rail. The government wanted to acquire the land as it would be useful for the expansion of the necessary structures in both the customs.

Ward member of Birganj-25 Tetari Devi Turha said that the government has been protesting for a long time regarding the withholding of land in the name of compensation. “The rich have already received compensation, the government does not give compensation money or land to the poor,” she said, “that’s why we are forced to protest.”

They returned after Jai Bahadur Bhandari, Chief Customs Officer, Dry Port Office, assured them of taking initiative for compensation. He promised that soon after the arrival of the new Finance Minister, a team delegation including stakeholders would go to the delegation to solve the problems of the landowners.

The government has so far distributed compensation for 43 bighas out of 682 plots out of 903 plots each of 62 bighas. The local people have already received about four billion rupees as compensation. Now compensation of Rs 2 billion 80 crore for 211 i.e. 19 bighas of land is yet to be distributed. Apart from this, compensation for house, trees, agriculture, pond, chapakal etc. should also be given. But Kewal Chaudhary, the technical officer of the dry port office, told that the survey has not been done.