KATHMANDU, Aug 1: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA) Balram Adhikari has said that the government has formed the final commission to resolve land-related issues and emphasized the need for timely formulation of the required laws.
Speaking at the meeting of the House of Representatives’ Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, Minister Adhikari said that although one year of the commission’s three-year term has already passed, its work has stalled due to delays in passing the necessary legislation.
He stressed that the government aims to resolve all types of land-related issues within the three-year period and expects cooperation accordingly.
A roadmap to ending landlessness
“The commission will only distribute government-owned land to landless people. The proposed bill also makes provision for distributing land to those who were removed from national parks but have not yet received any,” the minister said. “Around 70 percent of the work related to solving landlessness has been assigned to local governments. Unless municipalities initiate the process, the commission cannot do anything.”
Recalling that not all land was surveyed in the past, which has led to the current problems, Adhikari underscored the urgency of passing the bill. “Only 500 ropani of land was surveyed in Mustang at the time, and the then Pradhanpancha reportedly said that no more was necessary. This has caused problems in the region, including for those who want to plant apple orchards,” he added.
Committee Chairperson Kusum Devi Thapa informed that discussions have been held with experts to finalize the law aimed at resolving all forms of landlessness. She also announced that further discussions with officials from the MoLCPA would continue on Friday.
Lawmakers Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, Shanti BK, Pratima Gautam, Surya Kumari Shrestha, Ranjita Shrestha, Bhanu Bhakta Joshi, Saraswati Subba, Bijula Rayamajhi, and Asha BK drew attention to the need for clear legal provisions, ensuring that new laws do not benefit land mafias, and called for verification of land already distributed by past commissions.
Chairperson of the Commission Hari Prasad Rijal stated that the commission has received 1.219 million applications from landless individuals and stressed that the bill must be passed soon to enable proper management of these cases.
