KATHMANDU: National Land Rights Forum on Tuesday urged the CPN-UML, the leader of the newly-formed ruling coalition, to study Finance Minister Surendra Pandey's recent statement of providing unemployment allowance and directing the government to initiate land reform measures as soon as possible.

Issuing a press statement, the NLRF said, "The Finance Minister said land fragmentation can't develop the country."

The statement adds that they did not want unemployment allowance.

"We want to work in our land and eke out a livelihood. But the Finance Minister's statement has shattered our dreams. The party's plan of providing land free of cost to the landless people has turned out to be a useless document," the statement added.

It also said the party's assurances of distributing land free of cost to landless people was just a way to attract votes.

"The Finance Minister's statement shows that the new government is not with the landless people," it added.