Kathmandu — Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balen Shah, has said the government should adopt a policy to relocate settlements located near forest areas.
Speaking during an interaction with party activists on Sunday, Shah said keeping human settlements close to forests is not appropriate and poses long-term risks. He stated that government policy should focus on relocating villages situated along forest boundaries.
Shah said people living near forests should be resettled by providing land of equal size in other locations. He explained that relocation should be carried out based on the amount of land currently owned by residents.
“If someone owns five aana of land or two ropani, relocation should be done accordingly,” Shah said. “The government should provide equivalent land elsewhere and resettle them. People should not be kept living alongside forests.”
He added that separating human settlements from forest areas is necessary and that people should not be made to live near forests.
