With thousands of families in Jhapa-5 identified as landless or living in unregulated settlements, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader and House of Representatives candidate Balen Shah has pledged a time-bound solution if his party forms the government.
In a Jhapa-centric manifesto released on Monday, Shah stated that an empowered commission would be formed within 100 days of government formation to address the landless and unmanaged settlement issue, with a target to resolve the matter within 1,000 days.
According to informal data cited in the document, around 12,000 families in Jhapa-5—covering approximately 3,500 individuals—fall under the landless or unmanaged settlement category. District-wide figures indicate more than 50,700 such households.
Within Jhapa-5, the highest concentration is reported in Damak Municipality with 6,346 families, followed by Gauradaha (2,660), Gauriganj (2,146), and Kamal Rural Municipality (818).
Beyond settlement regularization, Shah has also promised broader land reforms, including the establishment of a land bank to promote consolidation and effective use of barren land. He further pledged to systematize public land management and complete surveying and mapping of plots lacking formal records.
The manifesto also commits to bringing the Damak View Tower into operation. As campaigning progresses, the timeline-based land pledge positions the settlement issue at the center of Shah’s Jhapa-5 agenda.