JHAPA: Speaker of House of Representatives (HoR) Devraj Ghimire emphasized that land-related problems should be resolved promptly by the government and the Land Commission.
At an interaction programme organized by the Arjundhara Municipality in Jhapa district to address land ownership issues within the municipality on Friday, Speaker Ghimire reiterated that the government and the Commission should actively work on unresolved issues dating back to 2020/21 BS.
“Although the governance system has changed, the situation of the people remains the same,” Ghimire lamented, urging consistent, responsible and sincere efforts on the part of the concerned authorities to address the issue.
“If there is any policy problem, a new Act should be framed and enacted to resolve the issue,” he suggested, calling for further empowering the Land Commission to deliver optimally.
According to him, the Commission failed to deliver effectively on its agendas due to political instability. He viewed that the Giribandhu Tea Estate related dispute should be immediately resolved by the concerned agency.
“The concerned agency should act to resolve the dispute. If it fails to do so, either Prime Minister or the Council of Ministers or whoever ought to take the matter into its hand should do the needful,” he insisted.
Victims and local residents echoed similar sentiments when it comes to solving the enduring land related problem.
They demanded that the dispute regarding 935 bigha of land at Sadhutar in the municipality, which is currently being used as a practice ground by the Nepali Army and the land surrounding this area being used by locals for settlement, should be resolved by the government and Land Commission.
They spoke of the need to provide the victims land ownership certificate as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the local residents, mostly those suffering due to longstanding land ownership dispute, brought their issues of those living in the river-bed areas and river basin areas to the fore.
Amrit Lamichhane, one of the participants at the interaction programme, mentioned that there have been human settlements at ward no 7 since 2018 BS while the river has been flowing there since 2021 BS.
“We were overjoyed when the Land Commission looked out for us in 2036 BS but much to our dismay, nothing substantial has happened so far,” he frowned.
Tanka Ghimire, resident of ward no 8, questioned how the 104 bigha of land at ward no 7 originally owned by Kenin Company of Morang district and later acquired by the government in 2048/49 BS is under the ownership of different individuals over the period.
Divulging a starling fact, he revealed that the same land has been owned and used by some 65 families over time.
Sujan Siwakoti brought to the fore another fact that the 51 bigha of land at the New Bus Park area at ward no 11 has been occupied by people buying land and living here for nearly 30 years.
Rajesh Prasad Pokharel, Chief of Land Revenue Office, said that although there is a provision of providing land ownership certificate for the land that has been used for over 10 years, the Forest Act prevents it.
Highlighting the need for policy intervention to address these long-enduring land related problems, he said, “Not only service-seekers, but we employees at the Land Revenue Office have also been facing problems. We work according to the command and in compliance with the laws but the service-seekers assume that we do not work in their interest,” he said, shedding light on the most recurring problems.
