Kalyanpur (Saptari): Four residents of Ward No. 1 of Rupani Rural Municipality have finally received their land ownership certificates after living on the land for nearly 50 years. The recipients of the certificates are Phulo Devi Sah, Anita Devi Sah, Mohammad Suleman Miya, and Kedar Prasad Sah. The certificates were formally handed over on Saturday by Rural Municipality Chairperson Dinesh Kumar Yadav during a special program.
In 2032 B.S. (1975/76 A.D.), the then Nakati Raypur Village Panchayat acquired 6 bighas and 10 kathas of land from 12 local landowners to establish the Rupani market area. Residents who settled on the plots have been paying taxes annually to the local authority—first to the Village Panchayat, later to the Village Development Committee (VDC), and subsequently to the Rural Municipality.
Following the agreement with the 12 landowners, the acquired land was divided into 201 plots. Each plot was allocated to settlers for Rs. 200, and a market settlement was established in the area. However, the land remained legally registered in the names of the original landowners rather than the individuals residing on the plots, creating long-standing ownership complications, according to Chairperson Yadav.
He stated that the Rural Municipality has been coordinating with the families of the original landowners to provide land ownership certificates to people who have been living in the Rupani market area for decades. According to him, 25 residents have so far received land ownership certificates, while 176 others are still awaiting the completion of the process.
Sixty-seven-year-old Mohammad Suleman Miya expressed immense happiness upon finally receiving the certificate after five decades. He said that he had settled on the land at the age of 17 and had to wait 50 years to obtain legal ownership documents. Similarly, Anita Devi Sah said that her father-in-law had originally purchased the plot for residential purposes, and receiving the land ownership certificate after 50 years was a moment of great joy for the family.
