Kathmandu. Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, Pratibha Rawal, has said that the government has adopted the policy of resolving the problem of landless, landless and landless squatters in a phased manner within 500 days. Minister Rawal said this while responding to the queries raised by lawmakers on the Appropriation Bill in the National Assembly meeting.

She said that the government was sensitive to the long-term rehabilitation of the squatters who have been displaced from various places of the Kathmandu Valley and the river banks and are currently in holding centers. 

According to Minister Rawal, the government aims to provide Rs 25,000 per family as immediate relief and Rs 15,000 monthly as house rent for three months. 

Minister Rawal said that adequate budget has been allocated for this purpose and the Land Problem Resolution Committee is moving ahead with the task of providing land to the families who are found to be landless at a suitable place on the basis of citizenship.According to her, a total of 12,47,469 applications including 1,03,140 landless Dalits, 1,86,860 landless squatters and 9,54,065 landless squatters are in the process of verification.

Similarly, Minister Rawal said that the government has accelerated digitization of land administration to make land administration modern, transparent and technology-friendly.According to him, so far 6 local levels have started services related to land administration as per the target of handing over the services related to land administration to the local level. Claiming that the access of unauthorized persons to the survey and land administration offices has been completely prohibited, Minister Rawal said that the digital infrastructure would be strengthened to minimize the delays andirregularities in service delivery.

Stating that the government has prioritized scientific land reforms and effective implementation of the land use policy, Minister Rawal said that emphasis has been laid on the conservation of arable land and control of fragmentation of land .Accordingto him, programmes linking land management with production have been forwarded by formulating land use plans at the local level.