Change of officials with change of government is major problem: Minister Shrestha

Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty alleviation, Sashi Shrestha has said the works carried out by the National Land Commission before this would be evaluated. 

Addressing a province-level seminar on evaluation and formulation of the next action plan organized by the Commission in Chitwan on Tuesday,  she said the works done by the previous commissions would be continued while carrying out additional works.   

Minister Shrestha said that problems were faced when the office-bearers of the Commission are changed with every change of government. This has hampered the efforts towards resolving the landless squatters' problem. She argued that this problem can be resolved if the past works carried out by the Commission were given continuity by evaluating them in an objective manner.

The Land Management Minister opined that the problem was further compounded as those who own land were not cultivating it and those who are into agriculture have no land. "The landless squatters who want to cultivate land and carry out farming have no land. The rich people have land but they are not into farming," she said.

Minister Shrestha stressed the need of implementing the existing Land Use Policy for resolving the landless squatters problem.

"The Land Use Policy has been formulated but it looks like it will take some time for its implementation," the land Management Minister reminded.

Minister of State at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Umesh Shrestha suggested carrying out land management by internalizing the sufferings of the people. He shared on the occasion that the government has started doing homework for implementing the land use policy. 

Stating that 1.5 million families in the country are registered as landless squatters at present, he said works should be carried out with determination for resolving the landless squatters' problem.

Commission's chairperson Keshav Niraula said all should work united for resolving the problems of the landless squatters, the Dalits and the others. He added that the Commission has asked the local levels to provide the details of the landless squatters in their area.

Former Minister of State Shesh Nath Adhikari, Neelkantha Municipality mayor Bhim Dhungana and Bharatpur Metropolitan City mayor Renu Dahal also put their views in the program.