KATHMANDU, Aug 19: Implementation of the Land Reform plan of the government has been delayed after the Ministry of Finance remained silent on frequent approaches by the Ministry of Land Reform and Management (MoRLM) for approval of the action plan.
Three months ago, MoRLM had sent the implementation work plan which proposes about Rs 6 billion to implement the major recommendation made by the High-level Land Reform Commission 2008 and Scientific Land Reform High Level Commission 2009.
“We haven´t received any response from the finance ministry which has delayed its implementation,” said Chandra Dev Joshi, Minister, MoRLM.
The ministry had sent the document for approval to ministry of Law and Justice and Finance Ministry on 22 April, 2012 but has only received consent from the Law ministry till date. “The Law ministry sent its approval within two weeks but the Finance ministry has not even responded to the second letter sent three weeks ago,” said the officials at the ministry.
The government had formed three high level commissions after the restoration of democracy in 1990. In 1994, the high level commission led by Keshav Badal was formed but its recommendations were never implemented.
Likewise, in 2008 and 2009 other two commissions were formed. Last year, the ministry compiled important recommendations from both reports and prepared an implementation work plan with the details of the works to be done by the concerned ministries and the budget needed for the scientific land reform in the country which has always been a complex issue.
Cabinet´s Political Committee had directed MoLRM to take consent from law and finance ministry and submit implementation plan to the cabinet for final approval but the MOLRM is in dilemma after it failed to get consent from the finance ministry.
The approximate estimation of the budget is about Rs 6 billion that will be used to fully digitize the land maps, geographical maps and land acquisition from the areas needed and to solve many existing problems related to land.
The 46 page detail implementation plan mentioned that the problems of landless people would be solved whereas systematic land use planning would be mainstreamed through the implementation of the action plan.
Officials at the ministry said that they are waiting for the response from the Finance Ministry. “The amount seems huge but it´s not much to implement such land reform plan of the nation. It´s urgent to have a scientific land and land use plan implemented,” said the minister.
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