Around half of historic settlers in Sankhu Bazaar in the district are likely to be denied concessional loan and subsidy for rebuilding their earthquake-damaged houses as they do not posses land ownership certificates.

In a public hearing programme organised in Shankharapur Municipality on Thursday, respondents said that 45 percent of households in Sankhu Bazaar do not possess land ownership certificates (lalpurja). They said that former royals allowed their families to use the land under the birta system, a form of privileged landownership, and that their land has not been transferred to their names under the current land management system.

According to 2011 national census, there are 928 households in Sankhu town. The April 25 earthquake has destroyed almost all of those. The government had decided to provide up to Rs200,000 to those who wish to reconstruct houses destroyed by the earthquake on their own. Similarly, it had decided to provide Rs2.5 million for each quake-affected family in urban areas and Rs1.5 million for rural areas as special housing loan with a 2 percent concessional interest rate for rebuilding houses.

But land ownership certificates are a must for claiming these subsidies. In the public hearing programme, earthquake-affected people demanded that Sankhu Survey Office and Land Revenue Office distribute land ownership certificates through a special field team to all those who are deprived.

Land Revenue Officer Umesh Dahal, Survey chief Bhagwat Shah and Shankharapur Municipality chief Durganath Gautam assured the quake survivors that they will be provided with land ownership certificates. Dahal informed that works have already begun towards that end and his office has already started working on around half a dozen applications they have received.