Addressing the Squatter Issue: Starting from Bardiya, Goal to Distribute Land Ownership Certificates Within 600 Days, What’s Happening Where
Image Source, Land Problem Solution Committee
The government, which has faced severe criticism for demolishing squatter settlements within the capital valley, has initiated the distribution of land ownership certificates in districts outside the valley.
In this context, the Land Problem Solution Committee reported that on Thursday, 29 landless people were handed land ownership certificates in Bardiya district.
According to the latest data, approximately 1.25 million applications have been registered with the committee from local bodies across the country. Among them, there are 103,000 landless Dalits, 187,000 landless squatters, and 954,000 residents of unregulated settlements.
The committee has already conducted orientation programs online to advance the resolution process of squatter issues in all districts.
Committee’s Information Officer and Chief Survey Officer Sanjiv Kumar Sah said, “Previous commissions had informed about the collection of verification documents; now the process of entering those documents at the municipal level is nearing completion.”
Image Source, Bhagwati Adhikari
Ownership Certificates in 10 Districts by mid-January?
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Certificates will be issued after verification. Wards, municipalities, and districts are set to conduct certification sequentially.
However, verification has not started in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur due to lack of agreements with the committee.
Recently, an agreement was signed with Kalaiya Sub-metropolitan City in Bara. Six other local bodies are being given final notices to complete the process.
“The government has directed local bodies to complete verification by the end of mid-July,” said Committee Information Officer Sah.
The majority of local bodies nationwide have nearly finished the verification process.
Officials have indicated that districts and local bodies have been prioritized for this effort.
Santakumar Karki, former Vice Chair of the now-dissolved Land Problem Solution Commission, said, “Our commission prioritized distributing land ownership certificates to landless squatters and landless Dalits.”
This work is still ongoing, and 10 districts have been prioritized, according to Committee Information Officer Sah.
“We have observed that less than 1,000 applications have been received in these 10 districts,” he added. “The goal is to complete certificate distribution within the month of January.”
No Land in the Valley: Where Can It Be Given?
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Since Kathmandu and Bhaktapur have not reached an agreement with the committee, the Ministry of Infrastructure collected squatter data from public lands.
After demolishing squatter settlements along riverbanks, the government has lost contact with many affected individuals.
Anand Singh Bhat, Chairperson of the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, said, “We are still allowing registrations for verification.”
The Ministry assigned the Land Management Department to verify ownership and sale records for 3,500 families.
According to Arjun Gyawali from the department, the preliminary study was completed on July 26 and sent to the Bagmati Civilization Development Committee.
Their assessment shows that over 800 families are not landless.
The government has urged squatters to leave holding centers by offering relief funds; earlier, they had promised to manage them in the centers before demolishing homes.
Chairperson Bhat said, “Out of 388 families, over 280 have applied to receive relief funds, but 24 do not have bank accounts, so the process is incomplete. Some may choose not to apply.”
Those unwilling to accept relief are staying at the holding centers until a permanent solution is found.
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The government announced relief payments of NPR 25,000 upfront and NPR 15,000 monthly for three months.
During this period, preparations are underway to finalize permanent settlement arrangements.
According to an official, Bhaktapur Municipality has stated it has no land to allocate for squatters.
This presents a major challenge in resolving the issues of unregulated settlements.
“Even if local bodies take responsibility for managing squatters, if they cannot provide land, apartment construction could be a solution,” an official from the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs, and General Administration said. “If nearby municipalities have land, it can be allocated; otherwise, alternatives can be explored through coordination with provincial governments.”
Government’s Goal Within 600 Days: How Feasible Is It?
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Under the Land Related Act, individuals without land ownership registered in their or family members’ names and those who cannot manage land through income are classified as landless squatters.
The National Dalit Commission designates landless squatters as landless Dalits as well.
The same commission defines unregulated settlers as individuals who have occupied fake government land for at least 10 years.
The committee prioritizes the management of landless squatters and landless Dalits.
According to the revised land regulations, the term of office for committee officials is set at 500 days, extendable up to an additional 100 days.
This means the government aims to resolve the squatter issue within 600 days.
Committee Information Officer Sah said, “Work is progressing according to government directives, and even the progress at the ward level is underway.”
However, it will be challenging to find land for squatters living on land that cannot be allocated.
The official added, “There might be issues in smaller communities, but since the overall numbers are low, structured solutions can progress as expected.”
The ruling National Independent Party has announced a goal to resolve this problem within 1,000 days.