The report should reveal who is behind the land scam, which would not have been so widespread without the complicity of those in high places

The high-level commission, formed to probe cases of land grab and misuse of public land, formally began work from Monday by setting up its office at Singha Durbar. The commission was long overdue as public, government and guthi land has been fast disappearing, not only in the Kathmandu Valley but also across the country, with the connivance of the land mafia, government officials, party cadres and others. The all-powerful commission was formed by a Cabinet decision on May 20, following public outcry over numerous reports of land grab of public land that surfaced after a government-appointed committee concluded that 113 ropanis of public land at Baluwatar were transferred in the name of individuals. As per the terms of reference, the commission will ascertain the status of all public and guthi land; investigate possible land grab or misuse of public land across the country; recommend actions as well as reforms in policy, laws, process, technology and structural reforms to be taken. It will, however, not investigate the Baluwatar land-grab case as a report has already been made public following an investigation into it by a committee.

Land is the most coveted asset by the Nepalis, and it should surprise no one that unscrupulous people have no qualms about usurping public and government land. What’s more, they have not left untouched even land belonging to the temples, universities, irrigation projects, banks and sports fields. Recent media reports show that large tracts of land, running into thousands of ropanis, belonging to Sanskrit University in Dang, Tribhuvan University at Kirtipur, Janaki Mandir in Janakpur, Ugratara Temple in Dadeldhura and Swargadwari Temple in Pyuthan, to name just a few, have been usurped by individuals. The land-grab spree began after the then warring Maoists encouraged the people to occupy public land during the 10 years of the insurgency. As a result, settlements have sprouted on these lands, and the institutions that own the land on paper are a mute spectator to the illegal occupation. A lot of land was donated by individuals for the upkeep and development of the institutions and definitely not for private housing. This has curtailed the income from the land needed to run them.

The true extent of the land-grab issue across the country will be known only after the commission submits its report within the next six months. It should also reveal who is behind it, as the problem would not have been so widespread without the complicity of those in high places, either in the government or the parties. The media and the people will be keenly waiting for the commission’s report, and we believe it will be made public and not shelved, as has been the case with many commission reports of the past. The real essence of forming the commission lies in implementing its recommendations, which will not be easy. For one, how do you vacate the settlements where thousands of people have already built homes? Should the government act sternly as per the recommendations, it will not only help recover its lost land but also deter people from usurping public land in the future.

Fertiliser shortage

Unavailability of chemical fertilisers during the paddy plantation season has hit the farmers hard, especially in the hilly districts. They should be easily available in all depots well before the plantation season starts. However, the government always fails to supply enough chemical fertilisers, which are essential for the healthy growth of the crop. The farmers in Dhading staged a rally in front of the District Administration Officer, demanding adequate supply of fertilisers on Monday.

There is no coordination between the government agencies and local cooperatives after the country adopted the federal set-up. Dhading district alone requires about 12,000 metric tons of chemical fertilisers every year. But the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited has been providing just 4,000 metric tons in the district. As the government has given emphasis on promoting agriculture, it should consider setting up a fertiliser plant in the country. Earlier, it was not possible to set up a fertiliser plant due to scarcity of electricity, which is essential to run a fertiliser factory. The private sector can be encouraged to set up the plant as the country will have surplus energy from the next fiscal.