Pokhara clears bus park commercial structures, squatter settlement remains

KATHMANDU: The Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) has intensified its long-delayed plan to construct a modern, well-equipped bus park by clearing commercial structures inside the proposed site at Prithvi Chowk.

The municipality carried out large-scale demolition of shops and business complexes, including structures within the Bastola Complex area and a row of shutters along the northern petrol pump line.

Following the clearance, the site has been cleaned and leveled as part of the initial phase of development.

According to officials, the land for the bus park was originally acquired in 2030 B.S., but development had remained stalled for decades due to legal, administrative, and settlement-related complications.

While commercial structures built on registered land have now been removed, a major challenge remains the settlement of squatters inside the site.

Around 572 households are currently living in three informal settlements within the bus park area.

The PMC has stated that eviction of these settlements will only proceed after proper resettlement arrangements are made.

Mayor Dhanraj Acharya of PMC said that the municipality will not forcefully remove squatters without rehabilitation. He added that verification of residents’ documents is currently underway, noting that some individuals were found submitting incomplete or false genealogical records. He warned that legal action would be taken if fraud is confirmed.

He further urged the public not to be misled by misinformation, stating that non-squatters and unrelated individuals had been attempting to influence and provoke residents inside the settlement.

The cleared land includes areas such as the Bastola Complex and adjoining petrol pump-line plots, which officials say fall under previously acquired land for the project.

However, past decisions by the Pokhara Valley Urban Development Committee regarding land exchange and plot distribution have created additional legal complexity.

To address these disputes, the municipality has formed a judicial committee led by a former Supreme Court judge. The committee’s report is still pending.

Meanwhile, representatives of the squatter communities have expressed willingness to vacate the area once alternative housing is arranged.

Prem Gurung, chairperson of the Squatter Rights Committee, said residents are ready to relocate if a suitable option is provided, emphasizing that they do not oppose development.

The long-awaited bus park project is seen as a key infrastructure upgrade for Pokhara, aiming to ease transportation management and modernize public transit facilities in the city.