Lahan, Jan 31: The people's housing programme (PHP) in Siraha and Saptari districts has been affected after the local levels failed to manage lands needed for it. The programme is aimed at building houses for Dalit, landless and squatters.

If the beneficiaries have not lands to construct houses, the respective local governments are obliged to manage land as per the programme.

District Chief of Urban Development and Building Construction Office at Saptari, Krishna Dev Jha, informed that it has been difficult to implement PHP in time after the local levels did not work actively to this regard. 

"Most of the Dalit and poor ones do not have land to make houses. So, it is uncertain where to construct houses for them," he said, reminding that the local levels were urged repeatedly in written to manage the necessary land but in vain.

He however said some local levels managed land but the beneficiaries did not like to move there which also delayed the programme.

Similarly, the landowners around the area the beneficiaries liked to settle created obstructions. It also delayed housing construction.

The Urban Development and Building Construction Office has warned the local levels that the PHP would be scrapped if the lands were not managed within this Magh month.

Manoj Mehatar from Rajbiraj Municipality-6 said, "I was happy to see my name in the list of beneficiaries. But, no land has been managed for two years. It is disappointing."