Two Land Reforms Commissions : Panels’ no to compensation beyond ceiling for land acquired

KATHMANDU, SEP 27 -

With compensation remaining the bone of contention in land reforms, reports of two land reforms commissions have suggested not paying compensation beyond the government-fixed ceiling for plots of land acquired.

Two commissions formed by two governments—one led by Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal and another by Madhav Kumar Nepal—have also suggested reducing the current land holding ceiling. The reports of both the commissions were handed over to PM Baburam Bhattarai on Monday.

The commission led by Maoist leader Haribol Gajurel, which was formed by the Dahal-led government, has categorically stated that it is not necessary to compensate beyond the ceiling except in special cases. The government can take “special decisions” on the recommendation of the High Level Scientific Land Reforms Implementation Commission.

“If local committees of political parties, civil society and the team assigned to determine the ceiling prove that somebody earned the land with his/her own efforts and not inherited from ancestors, he/she should be compensated with the minimum land price maintained in the area,” the Gajurel commission report says. Gajurel said that given the trend of landlords seizing land from farmers, they cannot be compensated. “Why will a person who has not made any investment be compensated,” he said.

However, the other commission led by UML leader Ghanendra Basnet is a little softer on the issue. The commission has suggested not compensating beyond the ceiling fixed by the Land Act-1964, which was amended in 2002. The amended Land Act has reduced the land holding ceiling to 11 bighas in the Tarai, 30 ropanies in Kathmandu Valley and 75 ropanies in the hilly region, including both for agriculture and residential purposes.

The Basnet Commission also recommended compensating land between the ceiling fixed in 2002 and the new ceiling as recommended by the commission. “If the gap is below 1 hectare of land, land owners should be compensated with cash,” the report says. “For land beyond that area, one should be compensated with the government’s bonds and share ownership of the government or national industries and enterprises,” the report says.

Both the commissions have suggested significant reduction in the landholding ceiling. The Gajurel Commission has suggested dividing the land in six categories—excellent, good, medium, low quality, sloppy land and residential. As per its suggestion, a nuclear family can hold 2 to 3.5 bighas of land depending on the category of land, while it can hold an additional 0.25 hectare in sloppy land and an additional 0.1 hectare for residential purpose.

Likewise, a joint family can hold 2.66 to 4.66 hectare of land ranging from excellent to low quality land, according to the report. If the family is an expanded one, it can hold 3.33 hectare of excellent land to 5.83 hectare of low quality land.

On the other hand, the Basnet commission has suggested a different ceiling for agriculture and residential purposes. For residential purpose, the report suggests fixing the ceiling at six ropanies. In agriculture land, the ceiling has been recommended at 10 ropanies for Kathmandu Metropolitan City, sub-metropolitan city and municipality and 20 ropanies of land in district headquarters, municipalities and city areas.

The Basnet Commission also suggests fixing a ceiling of 4 bigas in the Tarai and inner Madhes, 55 ropanies in rural areas of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur and other hilly areas and 70 ropanies in the mountainous region.

Source:the-kathmandu-post

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