In a landmark move, the government has issued a 35-day notice to Nepali citizens to submit details of their land holdings, in a bid to enforce the 10-year-old Land Reform Act that prohibits possession of land exceeding the legal ceiling. It promises to distribute excess land to the landless. The Ministry of Land Reform and Management (MoLRM) issued a notice to this effect one week ago, acting upon a Supreme Court order to the government to implement land reform law enacted in 2001. Implementation of the law is expected to usher in reform in land distribution in the country. According to Secretary at MoLRM Chhabiraj Panta, those who possess land exceeding the legal ceiling are required to submit their land details either at the Land Reform Office or Land Revenue Office in their respective districts within the designated deadline. "Those who own land less than the ceiling can submit their land details either at the village development committee or at municipalities," Secretary Panta told Republica. As per the Land Reform Act (Fifth Amendment)-2001, a person can own 20 ropanis of land in Kathmandu Valley, 10 bighas in the Tarai districts and 70 ropanis in the Hill districts. Likewise, a person can own five ropanis of land in Kathmandu Valley and Hill districts and one bigha in the Tarai as homesteads. Before the amendment to the act, an individual could own a maximum of 50 ropanis in Kathmandu and 20 bighas in the Tarai. Publishing a public notice in the state-run Gorkhapatra daily, MoLRM has asked all Nepali citizens to support the ministry´s bid to implement the legal provisions and to avoid possible action under the land ceiling. "The government will seize lands from those owing over the legal limit if they fail to submit their land details within the timeframe set by MoLRM," Panta said. On September 1, the apex court had summoned MoLRM Minister Damber Shrestha, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Director General of the Department of Land Reform and Management Rajendra Prasad Sharma to defend in person why the court´s earlier order in regard to enforcement of the law was not implemented. Responding to a contempt of court case filed by advocate Madhav Kumar Basnet, the SC had ordered them to appear with written clarifications as to why they did not implement the court order. Advocate Basnet had filed the contempt case after government official failed to collect within 180 days details concerning those owing land over the ceiling, as directed by the apex court on January 20, 2010. The apex court had also directed the government six months back to identify by name, address and other details those owing more land then the legal limit, take over such lands and distributing the lands to the landless.
Source: myrepblica