Kathmandu, August 29
The Land Bill has been approved by the Lower House of the Federal Parliament. The bill put forth by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari was approved by the majority of the House of Representatives during its meeting today.
Previously, the bill was returned to Parliament's Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee for clause-by-clause consideration.
This bill focuses on distributing land to over 1.1 million landless Dalits, squatters and disorganised settlers across the country, as well as allowing real estate professionals to buy and sell.
Responding to earlier questions in the discussion, Minister Adhikari stated that the bill was introduced to provide land to landless squatters, landless Dalits and unregulated settler groups. He claimed that the bill made no mention of providing more land than the limit.
Once this bill is endorsed, it will amend the Land Act,1964, National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973, and Forest Act, 2019. With the amendments to these acts, real estate entrepreneurs will be able to sell housing built at a reduced cost.
As per the act, even land not classified as housing or residential will be allowed to be divided and sold. The state will be able to provide land to disorganised settlers by classifying them. Also, land has been set aside for landless Dalits and squatters.
The bill will now be sent to the Upper House of the Federal Parliament. Following its return from the National Assembly to the House of Representatives, it will send the bill to the president for certification. Finally, the bill will become law after being certified by the president and published in the Nepal Gazette.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Majdoor and Kisan Party called for the withdrawal of some land-related Nepal Act Amendment Bills. Lawmaker Prem Suwal claimed that an attempt is being made to distribute land to disorganised settlers in the name of Dalit landless squatters.
"Let us first identify the specific issues and withdraw this bill before it becomes law," he stated while demanding the withdrawal of the bill in the House today.
Moreover, chief opposition parties - including CPN-MC, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal - have been vehemently opposing several provisions in the bill. As per them, the bill attempts to address land distribution and housing shortages but risks favouring business interests over environmental and legal safeguards. Proper debate in parliamentary committees is essential to balance development, social justice and environmental protection.
JSP-N, led by Upendra Yadav, had even announced demonstrations against the bill, citing several issues. JSP-N has been emphasising that the bill would disturb the demographic structure of Madhes Province.
Earlier, Yadav had told THT that 'Land Bill' was their chief concern, as it would massively impact Nepali people, particularly in the Madhes region citing that, including 10 other contentious reasons, JSP-N had withdrawn support from the PM Oliled government on July 16. "This bill promotes deforestation and prompt population migration in Madhes, which will adversely impact the region," Yadav had told THT.
JSP-N has three lawmakers in the National Assembly. The government is in the minority in the 59-member National Assembly, with the JSP-N in opposition.
The government now has only 16 legislators from the Nepali Congress, 11 from the CPNUML and one from the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal (LSP-N), out of the 30 needed for a majority. All of this adds up to 28 votes. Thus, the JSP-N will play an important role in the Upper House during the debate and passage of the Land Bill.
