Indigenous Commission submits recommendation report to PM
The report was handed over at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar by Commission Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar.
KATHMANDU: The Indigenous Nationalities Commission has submitted a detailed study report to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, recommending the relocation of the Kathmandu–Terai/Madhesh Fast Track’s starting point from Khokana to Dukuchhap in Godawari Municipality–8, Lalitpur.
The report was handed over at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar by Commission Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar.
According to the Commission, the current entry point in Khokana, Lalitpur Metropolitan City–21, poses a serious threat of displacement to the indigenous Newar community and violates their human rights.
The report highlights growing international concern over the impact on the Bagmati River Clean-Up Project, as raised by the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteurs and working groups.
The recommendation was made following a request from the Human Rights and International Treaties Division of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Commission emphasized that Khokana holds deep cultural and religious significance for the Newar community and suggested Dukuchhap as a more appropriate and less disruptive alternative.
The report also strongly advises the government to ensure free, prior, and informed consent from local indigenous communities before implementing such large-scale infrastructure projects.
