Birgunj folks protest road widening drive fearing homelessness
March 27, Kathmandu: The Save Birgunj Struggle Committee closed the corporate outlets along the main road in the town half-day today, protesting a project to widen the roadway from the Gandak Chowk to Miteri Bridge.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had quashed a writ filed against the road-widening drive. With this decision, the Road Division, Hetauda circulated a letter asking for the road demarcation, resulting into locals’ ire. According to the Committee, the major market area was shut down till 12:00 noon.
Committee coordinator and Birgunj submetropolis-9 ward chair Jawahar Prasad Gupta said the Division ordered for the demarcation of road while the full text of the court verdict was awaited.
As he explained, the move aimed to ruin the trade hub of historic Birgunj. House owners here and traders have been united against it. Over 1,100 house owners are to be rendered homeless if the project is implemented, it is said. “Any development initiative that forces the locals to be squatters is not acceptable for us,” he said.
Sanjib Sharma whose house is close to the Mahabir Temple in Birgunj said his five-member family would be left to live under open sky if the project is forwarded. Division’s Chief Guru Prasad Adhikari confirmed the circulation of the letter seeing the roadway boundary with 25 meters each.
Five writs against the project to extend the roadway were nullified by the Supreme Court on February 20. A division bench of justice Binod Sharma and Mahesh Sharma took the decision, paving the way for the Division to proceed with the implementation of the project.
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