KATHMANDU, JULY 13

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation has issued the 'Working Policy on Registration, Use, and Leasing of Government Land, 2022' to systematise the record-keeping of government lands.

As per the working policy published in the Nepal Gazette last week, the land revenue offices concerned shall register all unregistered government lands in the name of the Government of Nepal.

Such lands include all the lands used by the Government of Nepal, provincial governments or local levels and their entities, but which have yet to be registered.

'Even if any land is in the name of, or is being used by any level of government, it shall be registered in the name of the Government of Nepal. Upon registration in the name of the Government of Nepal, it can be provided or leased out to the governments concerned for their purpose,' the working policy says. It requires the land revenue offices to send the land ownership certificate of the Government of Nepal to the respective district administration offices.

'Land registered in the name of the Government of Nepal may be provided or leased out to any government office, UN agencies, foreign diplomatic missions and intergovernmental offices to which Nepal is a party for use as per necessity for a period not exceeding 40 years,' it reads.

There shall be a recommendation committee led by the chief district officer in each district to recommend providing or leasing out the government land. The Council of Ministers is the ultimate authority that approves providing or leasing out government land. The working policy has also determined the amount to be provided by leaseholders to the Government of Nepal.

Earlier, the MoLMCPA had issued the 'Standard for Allowing the Use of Public Land' which allows community schools, government health facilities or hospitals and other government offices to use public land if they need such land. 'Public land shall not be provided to any non-governmental organisation or office. Only government entities are eligible to use public land,' it says. The public land shall be registered in the name of the Government of Nepal before allowing it to be used.

Public land may be provided to eligible government organisations or offices for a period not exceeding 30 years on the basis of need and utilisation of public property.

However, the period may be extended on the basis of its rationality, the standard reads. If the concerned office, organisation or entity is found to be using public land for purposes other than those stated in the contract, the DLRO may recommend termination of such contract.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 14, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.