According
to the survey office, the Indian side has encroached upon about 20
hectares of Nepali territory between Pillar No 25 and 26 at Jhitakaiya
VDC.
“The
Indian side encroached upon our territory before our eyes and the
government did not help us protect our land,†said Ramsakhi Dusadin of
Jhitakaiya. She said Indian farmers had been cultivating their land.
“We
have an authentic map that clearly shows that the encroached land
belongs to Nepal,†said surveyor Dipak Kumar Singh at the office. Singh
blamed authorities for not taking initiatives to stake claim on the
encroached territory.
According
to local people, Indian farmers backed by Indian police had captured
their paddy field on Oct. 2, 2004. The victims submitted a memorandum
to the then prime minister and local administration seeking help to get
their land back, to no avail.
“Our own government did not help us. Authorities are indifferent to the issue of encroachment,†said Gopalji Prasad, another local.