Govt for proper utilisation of land: PM Deuba

 Kathmandu, Apr. 14

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government was taking special initiative for proper utilization of land.

Addressing the centenary celebrations of land registration in the land administration on Thursday, he informed that the land use regulations for the protection of land are in the stage of approval and will be approved soon.

"It is necessary to make the land administration clean, transparent and systematic by resolving the problems seen in the land administration," he said.

The land registration was approved on the first day of the Nepali New Year a century ago.

PM Deuba said that the government has accorded a high priority to solving the problems of landless squatters, Dalits and unorganized settlers.

he said the government was moving towards implementing the issues ensured by the constitution including providing access to agricultural land to farmers, managing landless squatters, freed Kamaiyas, Haliyas and unorganized settlers.

According to PM Deuba, National Land Commission has been formed to solve the problems of landless squatters, dalits and unorganized settlers across the country forever. The commission has already started the work of identification, verification and registration of landless people in different places and distribution of spare parts.

He also showed concerns over the decline in production and growing food insecurity due to improper use of land, widening trade deficit caused by agricultural imports, growing trend of government land encroachment, and impact of climate change.

Speaking on the occasion, former PM Jhala Nath Khanal stressed on the need to pay special attention to modernise the land administration with the adoption of technology, and consolidate the land to solve the land and people's land related problems.

He said that Nepal's border was yet to be finalized, so it is necessary to mark it scientifically through diplomatic initiative.

Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoLMCAP), Shashi Shrestha said that work has already started to make the services at the land administration user-friendly. "We have given special emphasize on the use of technology in service delivery," she said.

Minister Shrestha said that land use regulations are being passed to protect the cultivable land which is rapidly declining due to uncontrolled urbanisation and destruction of productive land. The regulations will help in the consolidation and protection of agricultural land, increment in agricultural produces and productivity, and creation of jobs.

She said that work has been started to solve the land related problems of landless Dalits, squatters, unorganized settlers as well as Haliya, Kamaiya, Kamalari, Harwa, Charwa, and Badi community.

He also said that an interaction and discussion has been held with the stakeholders for the drafting of Guthi Act and the law is being drafted in such a way that everyone can take ownership of it.

Secretary of the MoLMCAP, Ram Prasad Thapaliya said that special emphasis has been laid on the use of new technologies to make the land administration sector more effective and customer-friendly.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 April 2022.