RSP lawmaker Indira Rana Magar raises elephant attacks and land issues in Jhapa

Kathmandu, October 2, 2026 — Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Indira Rana Magar has drawn the government’s attention to the problems faced by people in Jhapa due to wild elephant attacks and unresolved land ownership issues.

Speaking during Friday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Rana Magar urged the government to take measures to reduce crop damage caused by elephants during the harvest season and to promptly provide land ownership certificates to people who have already received land identification documents.

With Dashain approaching, farmers in Jhapa have been forced to stay awake through the night to protect their crops from elephants, she told Parliament.

Rana Magar said land-related problems were equally serious, alleging that landless residents who have already received identification documents were being made to undergo further hardship in the name of resurveying their land.

She also said there were complaints that some local governments were spreading confusion by claiming that they had received “orders from above.” She urged the concerned ministry to make its position clear on the issue.

Rana Magar criticized government efforts to control elephants, saying they had become ineffective and likening them to the Nepali expression “hathi ayo, hathi ayo, phusso,” which describes a situation in which something is repeatedly anticipated or announced but ultimately produces little or no result.

“Farmers are now forced to give up their sleep at night to guard their crops against elephants, but the government has not been able to guarantee concrete relief. Landless residents who have already received identification documents should now receive land ownership certificates quickly, and they should not be subjected to further hardship by adding process after process,” she said.

Rana Magar called on the government to immediately provide appropriate relief to farmers affected by elephants and make land ownership certificates available to landless residents waiting for them. She also demanded that the government publish a clear action plan on both issues.