Dadeldhura, Oct. 28 -- After the government dissolved the Land Problem Settlement Commission, hundreds of landless Dalits, squatters and settlers of unmanaged settlements in Dadeldhura have been left disheartened. They say their long-awaited dream of securing ownership certificates for the land they have lived on for generations has been shattered once again.

"The commission had finally given us hope," said Tek Bahadur Oli of ward 4 of Alital Rural Municipality. "I was expecting to receive my land ownership paper this time, but now I must continue living without any legal claim over my own home. The new government must think about us."

While working for eight months in Dadeldhura, the commission had collected around 14,000 applications ...