The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has reclaimed more than 208 ropani of the encroached public land.

KMC Mayor Balendra Shah informed about this through a social media post on Thursday that more than 200 ropani of public land, worth Rs 23 billion, that had been encroached upon, has been reclaimed.

Mayor Shah stated that with his taking leadership of KMC, the metropolitan city is working with the aim of returning 1,859 ropani 14 anna of encroached land worth about Rs 200 billion.

The Local Government Operation Act, 2074 has granted full authority to the local government for the protection, management, and recovery of public land and property.

Mayor Shah said that pursuant to the same policy, a campaign has been launched to end the tendency of encroaching, occupying and grabbing public land.

KMC is expediting the works of developing the returned land into open parks, sports fields, skateboard parks, pavilions, green areas and public use spaces to prevent its reoccupation.

The metropolitan city has stated that an implementation committee has been formed with the aim of bringing 1,859 ropani 14 anna of encroached land back into public use, based on the report prepared by the commission chaired by former Secretary Ram Bahadur Rawal, and the committee will start its work from today, to further prioritise the protection of public land.