Rawal Commission report finally set for implementation
KATHMANDU, JUNE 12
The government has decided to implement the long-pending 2052 BS report of the High-Level Commission on Investigation and Protection of Government and Public Land, commonly known as the Rawal Commission, more than three decades after its submission.
A Cabinet meeting held on Friday resolved to enforce the report in line with a directive order issued by the Supreme Court. The meeting also decided to maintain a systematic national record of government and public land and strengthen measures for its protection.
The Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to take the necessary steps for implementation.
The decision paves the way for the recovery of encroached government and public land identified by the commission within all 35 wards of the then Kathmandu Municipality. According to the report, a total of 1,859 ropani, 14 ana, 3 paisa and 3 daam of public and government land had been encroached upon. The government has also indicated that legal action will be taken against encroachers in accordance with prevailing laws.
Prime Minister's Press and Research Advisor Deepa Dahal said the report should have been implemented when it was submitted, but remained unexecuted due to prolonged delays. She said the concerned ministries would now coordinate with relevant agencies to complete the required legal procedures and move ahead with enforcement.
The Rawal Commission was formed in 2050 BS under the chairmanship of former government secretary Ram Bahadur Rawal to investigate widespread encroachment, illegal registration and misuse of public land. The commission submitted its report in 2052 BS after studying government and public land within Kathmandu.
According to the findings, more than 1,859 ropani of public land, around 10 percent of the total 18,941 ropani identified in the Kathmandu municipal area at the time, had already been encroached upon. The report documented encroachment of 2,070 land parcels by 8,093 individuals.
Although the report was submitted three decades ago, successive governments failed to implement its recommendations. In 2060 BS, advocate Prakash Mani Sharma filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court seeking enforcement of the report.
Following further studies by an expert committee, the Supreme Court in 2067 BS issued a directive order instructing the government to implement the Rawal Commission's recommendations and investigate encroachment of government and public land across the country.
Despite the court order, implementation remained stalled for years. The latest Cabinet decision is expected to revive the process of recovering public land, protecting state assets and strengthening good governance and the rule of law.