Kathmandu: Tribhuvan University (TU) has announced plans to intensify efforts to protect, recover, and properly utilize its land across the country, with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa acknowledging that the process will require sustained efforts over several years.

Speaking at an alumni meeting on Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor Thapa said the recovery of university-owned land could not be completed within a few months. He described it as a long-term responsibility requiring continuous efforts and a stronger administrative mechanism.

TU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa says recovering university land is a long-term process that may take years and require continuous institutional efforts.

“ This is not a matter of one month, two months, or six months. It may take years, and we will have to continue working on it for years,” Thapa said. He noted that Tribhuvan University is believed to be the institution with the largest landholding in Nepal after the government, making the university’s responsibility for protecting and managing its property particularly significant.

Thapa also said the university would not allow its land to remain unused. He pledged to ensure that recovered land is managed systematically and utilized effectively in accordance with the university’s needs.

Land currently being used by individuals and organizations outside the university will also be reviewed. According to Thapa, once existing agreements expire, the university will hold discussions with the concerned parties and seek to bring such properties under TU’s full control.

He said the issue could be addressed through bilateral or trilateral agreements where necessary. Unlike the complex disputes surrounding landless squatters on public land, he argued, university land could be recovered through dialogue and institutional arrangements.

However, Thapa emphasized that recovering the land would only be the first step. The greater challenge would be ensuring its long-term protection and management under the university’s authority.

The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged that TU’s existing administrative structure and limited human resources were inadequate to monitor and manage its land holdings, which are spread across different parts of the country. He said the university would therefore work toward establishing a stronger administrative mechanism for land management.

According to the report of the Tribhuvan University Land Investigation Committee made public by the government, the university owns more than 5,050 ropanis of land. The report found that more than 2,000 ropanis had been occupied or encroached upon by more than 18 private and religious organizations, allegedly with the involvement or collusion of former university officials and employees.

The situation is particularly significant in Kirtipur. Although TU holds ownership certificates for 3,613 ropanis of land there, various organizations have been occupying and using portions of the property. As a result, only around 2,500 ropanis are currently in use by the university.

A government investigation found that more than 2,000 ropanis of TU land had been occupied or encroached upon by more than 18 private and religious organizations.

The findings have also highlighted the need for a comprehensive investigation into university-owned land outside the Kathmandu Valley. TU officials now face the broader task of identifying its land holdings, recovering properties under unauthorized occupation, and establishing an effective system to protect and utilize them in the long term.