Seven decades on, those providing lands for SaptaKoshi Bridge yet to get compensation

Rajbiraj, Dec 29 : The families providing lands for the construction of Saptakoshi Bridge at Bhardaha border between Nepal and India have not been compensated for decades. The Indian government had acquired thousand bighas of registered lands some 73 years back. 

 Shyam Sundar Khadka from Hanumannagar Kankalini municipality-2 said, “As the government failed to make proper diplomatic initiatives with the Indian government, at least three generations of those providing land for bridge construction are bearing the brunt.”  

Similarly, Kapaleshwor Majhi from then Bhardaha VDC-1 shared the similar plight that the people from then Gogniya, Hanumannagar, Daluwa, Rampur Malhaniya are fatigued after running from one office to another both in Nepal and India.  

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Currently the bridge is between Province 1 and Province 2. Kapaleshwor who was just born during the construction of the bridge is now 73 years old. “During the construction of the bridge, my father Dhaneshwor was 29 year old, which is no more now. But the land provided for the bridge construction is yet to be compensated,” Kapaleshwor added.  

Similarly, another local Gosai Mandal, 75, said, “The Indian government has not provided the compensation of the land acquired seven decades back.”  

He vented his ire on Nepal government, saying, “Why didn’t it approach Indian government and convince on pending land compensation.”  

Mandal further expressed woes that most of the youths from the families providing land are not in foreign countries taking hefty loan.  

After giving the land for bridge construction, there is no other place to till, no source of income and livelihood, as they said exuding sheer haplessness.  

Some 4,000 families from Saptari, Sunsari and Udaypur districts share similar plight. The bridge was constructed in 1944.  

The floods caused by the bridge every year causes disaster resulting in the loss of lives and properties.  

Although the agreement was made to provide relief and incentives through schools, hospital, roads and irrigation to the displaced households by the Indian government, it has not been implemented, complained the survivors univocally. (rss)