Kathmandu, Apr. 11: Minister for Urban Development, Ram Kumari Jhakri, has said that those encroaching on the public land should be socially excluded.

Saying the public land at the river banks is being captured under the protection of leaders and lawmakers, Minister Jhakri shared that those doing wrong works should be socially excluded.

Addressing the 28th anniversary of the High Powered Committee for Development of the Bagmati Civilization here today, she mentioned, "Anyone encroaching upon the public land should be socially excluded. Leaders and lawmakers have been protecting them. All should join hands and discourage such activities."

Although the government could address the unsystematic settlement at river banks through a joint housing programme, additional problems have surfaced due to their repeated demands of getting land at the riverbank, argued the Minister.

Saying Bagmati could be made clean and beautiful from the existing laws and means and resources, she stressed on commitment of all for the same.

Similarly, former Chief Secretary of the government and chief campaigner of Bagmati cleanliness mega campaign, Leela Mani Poudyal, said that the government should make the unsystematic settlement along the Bagmati river bank systematic soon.

He also demanded the government bring the laws that could help to make the settlement along the riverside of the country systematic.