Three New Provisions in the Land and Forest Ordinance That Could Provide Relief to the Landless
Following the issuance of two ordinances related to land and forests, officials have expressed hope that the longstanding issue of landlessness can be resolved within two years. Balbhadra Bastola, Chairperson of the Land Problem Resolution Committee, stated that these two ordinances are deeply connected to resolving the squatter problem. “They address various issues related to unplanned settlements. I am confident that all matters can be resolved within two years,” Bastola said.
On Tuesday, President Ram Chandra Paudel promulgated the Forest (Amendment) Ordinance 2083 and the Land (Amendment) Ordinance 2083, which amend several Nepal Acts related to forest and land. The problem of landless citizens has remained a complex social and legal issue for decades. Particularly, legal provisions concerning forests, buffer zones, and protected areas have made it difficult to grant land ownership to residents in those regions.
According to Committee Chair Bastola, the committee is actively handling over 1.3 million applications from landless and unplanned settlers. However, many landless citizens remain unconvinced. While officials are hopeful for a resolution within two years, squatter rights activists express skepticism. Dal Mardan Kami, Kathmandu Valley In-charge of the Squatter National Front, noted that past experience shows legal provisions alone do not guarantee resolution. “Recently, the government bulldozed the Kathmandu squatter settlement promising to resolve the issue within 15 days, but nothing has happened so far,” he said.
Regarding the main provisions of the ordinance, Chair Bastola explained that it enhances access towards solving squatter and unplanned settler issues. He highlighted three primary points: “First, it provides arrangements to allocate land for residence in three forest-related types of areas. Even if the land is recorded as forest, land can be allocated where settlements already exist. Likewise, those who settled before Magh 28, 2066 (February 11, 2010) are eligible to receive land within protected areas.”