Home Minister's Order to Remove Police Land Fence Sparks Confusion in Gorkha

A directive from Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung to immediately remove a fence surrounding land belonging to the Nepal Police in Manakamana, Gorkha, has created confusion among local officials and the police administration. The Minister issued the order on Sunday while meeting with voters in the area, responding to complaints from locals about the fence.

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The Home Minister's responsibility is to properly manage the Nepal Police. The Manakamana police office is currently operating on trust land. The police should have protected their own land and proceeded with construction of the police office.

However, local representatives and residents assert that the land is indeed owned by the Nepal Police. They explain that the fence was erected last year to safeguard the property from encroachment and to prepare for the construction of a new Area Police Office. The land, registered under plot number 799 in the name of the Nepal Police, is located near the ward office in Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality-2. The Home Minister's order has left the police administration uncertain about the next steps.

Ramesh Thapa Magar, chairperson of Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality, suggested that the Home Minister might have been misinformed by individuals pursuing personal agendas. "The Home Minister's responsibility is to properly manage the Nepal Police. The Manakamana police office is currently operating on trust land. The police should have protected their own land and proceeded with construction of the police office," Magar stated, adding, "But someone appears to have briefed the Home Minister incorrectly." He also noted that preparations were underway to upgrade the police office to a 'Category A' facility, making a permanent building essential.

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But someone appears to have briefed the Home Minister incorrectly.

Shakun Thapa, ward chairperson of Shahid Lakhan-2, and local resident Dinesh Joshi echoed these sentiments, questioning the necessity of removing a fence on police-owned land. Thapa mentioned that a previous court case concerning the land had resulted in the Survey Office demarcating areas for the ward office, police office, and public land. Both Thapa and Joshi believe the Home Minister may not have been aware of these details, and that external influences might be at play. Locals also pointed out that some individuals had previously used the property for storing construction materials and parking vehicles, and the dispute escalated after the police secured the land with the fence.

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That is the police office’s land. I don’t see any reason to demolish a fence installed on its own land.