CHITWAN, OCTOBER 27

The National Land Commission is initiating the process of distributing land to landless Dalits, landless squatters, and unmanaged settlers from mid-January next year.

Commission Chairperson Keshav Niraula today said that the land would be distributed prioritising the Dalits without land of their own.

The erstwhile dissolved Landless Squatters Problems Resolution Commission, based on the applications received from the landless squatters in 40 districts and record keeping in other districts, had registered 1.5 million to 1.7 million landless squatters in the country, according to Niraula.

Nirauala said that the Commission, which is preparing to distribute land, will make public its plans once the legal process is completed.

Identification and classification of landless squatters will be carried out with representation of all political parties, local level and civic societies, he said.

He assured that the landless squatters' problems would be resolved from mid-January 2022.

'We are planning to distribute land ownership certificates to a large number of beneficiaries.'

The work undertaken by the erstwhile government will be continued following necessary investigation.

The commission's undertaking should not be politically tainted, he opined.

Similarly, under-secretary of the commission, Mani Regmi said the land distribution work would be forwarded after the commission gained full shape.

Those residing on public land will be relocated to legal lands while those residing in urban areas will get 130 square metres of land.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 28, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.