Government effortful to address issues in cooperatives sector: Minister Adhikari

Kathmandu, Aug 16: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balaram Adhikari, has said that the government has so far returned the savings of 6,700 depositors from troubled cooperatives.

According to him, the government is actively working to address the issues facing the cooperatives sector.     

Similarly, efforts are underway to get a land-related bill endorsed by Parliament. The bill aims to provide land to landless Dalits, squatters, and those living in unplanned settlements.     

Speaking to RSS about the major accomplishments during his 18 months in office, as well as the bill designed to amend several of Nepal’s land-related laws, the Minister stated, “The government, as the caretaker and guardian of the people, is responsible for addressing citizens' concerns.”     

Highlighting the Ministry's direct engagement with public issues, he said the government is working to identify poor households, a task expected to be completed within a year.     

Believing that the land-related commission should be high-powered, the government has restructured the latest commission accordingly. A bill to amend several laws, including the Land Act, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, and the Forest Act, has been introduced and presented to the Bill Committee. The aim is to revise inconsistent or outdated legal provisions.     

Another key responsibility of the Ministry is resolving issues related to cooperatives. After reports of some cooperatives operating in violation of standards and misappropriating depositors' savings, the Ministry intervened in such cooperatives, following expert recommendations. Legal and structural measures have been put in place to bring these efforts to a meaningful resolution.     

Concluding his remarks, the Minister said that the government can no longer afford any delay in addressing land-related concerns of the citizens.(RSS)