Tanahun Land Commission urges government action to resolve land issues

BY AMAR RAJ NAHARKI,Tanahun, Aug. 12: The Land Problem Resolution Commission, Tanahun, has requested the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to take initiatives to address land-related issues in the district.

A delegation comprising District Chairman Govinda Silwal, expert member Shriram Karki, member Ram Chandra Upadhyaya, and member secretary Vijay Kumar Singh, head of the Tanahun Survey Office, had a meeting with Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagawati Neupane in Kathmandu on Monday.

According to Chairman Silwal, the team demanded additional staff to ensure the quick and efficient distribution of land ownership certificates. “We are pleased that the Minister expressed commitment to expedite the commission’s work,” he said. 

Expert member Karki said the delegation urged the government to manage necessary human resources, pass laws linked to the Land Bill, and create an environment to distribute land certificates to landless Dalits, squatters, and unmanaged settlers in a timely manner. The team also sought arrangements for transportation and workforce management to speed up field operations.

According to Karki, the survey has been completed in Devghat Rural Municipality and Aanbukhaireni, while it is ongoing in Bandipur Rural Municipality, Byas Municipality, Bhanu Municipality, Shuklagandaki Municipality, and others. Land records from surveyed wards have been sent to the District Land Revenue Office for final verification. A total of 64 cases from Devghat, 5 from Byas, 46 from Aanbukhaireni, and 25 from Shuklagandaki, concerning landless Dalits and squatters, have been forwarded for authentication.

 Across 10 municipalities in the district, there are 1,097 registered landless Dalits, 1,649 landless squatters, and 23,822 unmanaged settlers, making a total of 26,568 individuals undergoing land measurement and verification.

Member secretary Singh told the minister that out of the 20 staff assigned to the commission in the district, four positions are currently vacant, creating operational challenges. Singh also pointed out difficulties due to insufficient cooperation from local governments and a lack of necessary tools and resources. “We have requested the minister to coordinate with concerned authorities to resolve these issues,” he said.

Minister Neupane expressed concern over the status of work in Tanahun and assured necessary government support to speed up the resolution of problems faced by landless Dalits, squatters, and unmanaged settlers. She said she was confident that the current working committee could address the large volume of pending cases in the district.

Karki also informed that the commission plans to meet Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, to brief him on the challenges. He expressed confidence that the Land Problem Resolution Commission would operate as efficiently as the Survey Office in delivering public services.