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🇳🇵 Nepal /Crime & Justice

Nepal's 33-year-old land probe: How it was formed and what it uncovered

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A 33-year-old report on land encroachment in Nepal has resurfaced, prompting public curiosity about its formation and findings.
  • The commission was initially formed in 1992 to investigate complaints of government and public land being registered as private property.
  • Teams conducted field surveys and cross-checked historical maps to identify and document encroachments across various land categories.

A decades-old report on land encroachment in Nepal has resurfaced, sparking public interest in its origins and discoveries. The Balendra Shah-led government's decision to act on the findings has brought renewed attention to the document.

The high-level commission was established on December 31, 1992, during Girija Prasad Koirala's premiership. This initiative aimed to protect government and public land amid escalating complaints of encroachment. The effort was spearheaded by Jagannath Acharya, the then-land reforms minister.

Samar Bahadur Singh, a former non-gazetted first-class officer at the Ministry of Land Reform, recalled that the Koirala Cabinet received complaints. These alleged that during a 1986 resurvey, land plots not previously marked as private were registered under individuals' names, with ownership certificates issued. Koirala then directed the land reform minister to investigate.

Every day, 25 to 26 people were out in the field. The report was drafted based on the measurements taken during these field visits.

— Samar Bahadur SinghRecounting the daily operations of the survey teams.

The commission, initially chaired by assistant minister Siddha Raj Ojha, worked for about six months. However, Acharya resigned due to internal disputes within the Nepali Congress. Ojha was subsequently promoted to minister of state and formed a new empowered commission led by Ram Bahadur Rawal, a former land reform secretary. This commission set up its office in Dillibazar, Kathmandu.

Teams, including survey officers and field surveyors, were deployed daily to conduct on-site inspections and measurements. They cross-checked cadastral maps and field books from 1965 and 1985, identifying plot boundaries, ownership, and encroachments. The teams meticulously measured plots against official records, calculating the extent of encroachment and categorizing the data by ward. They documented encroachments on various land types, including roads, canals, schools, and cemeteries.

We calculated exactly how much encroachment or overlap had occurred and categorised the data ward by ward.

— Samar Bahadur SinghDescribing the detailed process of documenting land encroachment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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