The government has issued an ultimatum requiring displaced squatters to vacate holding centres by June 26.

The High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation (HPCIDBC) issued a notice directing displaced families to leave the holding centres within the deadline. The notice states that the government has decided to provide a one-time relief payment of Rs25,000, and occupants have been instructed to leave after completing the required procedures.

It also states that a rent support of Rs15,000 per month for three months will be provided in instalments directly to verified beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

The government’s directive has left displaced families in uncertainty, with many expressing concerns over their future. Those currently staying in holding centres say they had expected a permanent resettlement plan, and the new notice has only increased their anxiety.

According to Indra Bahadur Thapa, who is staying at a holding centre in Nagarkot, Bhaktapur, government officials visited the site on Tuesday and instructed residents to apply for relief funds and fill out forms as part of the process to vacate the holding centres.

“There was also some dispute while filling out the forms. Officials from the administration came and told us that we must arrange accommodation ourselves by June 26,” he said. “We are afraid we will be left stranded after three months of displacement.”

Girbanika Thapa, who is staying at a holding centre in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, said the notice has again raised fears of displacement.

“It is already difficult to find rooms at such short notice. Even if we manage to rent one, Rs15,000 a month will not be enough to cover living expenses in the current situation. What happens if we are displaced again after three months?” she said.

Displaced families staying at a holding centre run by the Nepal Red Cross Society facility in Banepa in Kavre said finding housing within three days is extremely difficult. Around 45 families are currently staying at the Banepa shelter.

Krishna Kumari Subba, one of the residents, said it is nearly impossible to find a room by Friday.

“We need at least one or two weeks. Today the notice arrived, and from tomorrow [Wednesday] we will have to start searching for rooms. We don’t know where to go,” she said. She added that they had been hoping for land allocation from the government, but are now being forced to search for rented accommodation.

Toyanath Ghimire, another resident at the Banepa holding centre, said they had been relying entirely on government arrangements and the notice has added further uncertainty.

“We have no land and nowhere to go. We believed the government would arrange safe housing for us. Now the worry is where we will find rooms,” he said.

Another displaced resident, Lal Bahadur Limbu, said the relief amount has not yet been received and suitable rental housing has not been found.

“We have been searching for rooms for a long time, but have not found any. It is not realistic that everyone will find housing within three or four days,” he said.

Singha Bahadur Moktan, also staying at the centre, urged the government to reconsider the decision, saying they were not given adequate time or viable alternatives before being asked to leave.

He said the priority should be ensuring safe housing rather than merely providing cash assistance.

HPCIDBC’s executive chairperson Anand Singh Bhat said it is not feasible to keep displaced families in holding centres indefinitely.

“Therefore, until a proper land solution is found, we are requesting them to shift to suitable accommodation using relief funds,” he said.

“We had already deployed bank staff to the camps where displaced families are staying for nearly a month and a half to open bank accounts. In many places, residents did not cooperate in opening accounts. Since the allocated budget could lapse at the end of the fiscal year, we had to set a short deadline,” he said.

“If it is not possible by June 26, we can extend it by two to three days through mutual understanding.”

He also said the government was working on a plan to provide land to verified landless within three months. “If that target is not achieved within the timeframe, necessary adjustments will be made to the plan,” he said.

Bhat added that data collection is underway to identify bon fide squatters and distribute relief assistance accordingly.

A Land Issue Resolving Committee has also been formed to address the issue. According to Bhat, the identification of genuine squatters will be completed within the next three months, after which further procedures will be initiated.

Following the government’s drive to clear encroachments from public land and riverbanks across the Kathmandu Valley from April 25, holding centres were set up at seven locations in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok to accommodate displaced families.

According to data with HPCIDBC, 1,488 people from 388 households are currently staying in these holding centres.

Of the total, 294 people from 87 households are staying at Machhapokhari holding centre, Balaju; 277 people from 65 households at Radhaswami Ashram, Kirtipur; 355 people from 99 households at the Nepal Electricity Authority training centre building in Kharipati; 115 people from 24 households at the Agricultural Development Bank training institute in Bode; 80 people from 21 households at the National Water Supply and Sanitation Training Centre in Nagarkot; 195 people from 45 households at the Nepal Red Cross Society facility in Banepa; and 172 people from 47 households at apartments in Ichangunarayan.

Meanwhile, digital verification of squatters staying outside holding centres has been ongoing since last Wednesday. Officials clarified that this is not a new registration process but a re-verification of those already listed who are currently staying outside the centres.

The committee has already completed digital verification of 1,488 people staying in holding centres, out of 2,608 displaced individuals previously recorded.

The government has decided to provide an initial relief payment of Rs25,000 to those verified and found eligible as displaced informal settlers.

In addition, beneficiaries will receive a monthly housing allowance of Rs15,000 for up to three months until permanent accommodation arrangements are made.