Proposal for formation of National Land Commission in the Council of Ministers

Kathmandu. After dismissing the Land Problem Resolution Commission, the government has decided to form a National Land Commission in its place. The proposal for the formation of the National Land Commission has been taken to the Council of Ministers. A source in the Ministry of Land Management said that the National Land Commission would have been formed by now if the Supreme Court had not issued a short-term order on the land issue.

The Supreme Court has issued a short-term order in the writ petition against the dismissal of the Land Problem Resolution Commission (Squatters Commission). This means that it is the Supreme Command to keep the status quo. It is being heard on September 20. According to a ministry source, the Supreme Court has paved the way for the formation of a new commission on August 20. The ministry says that the homework for this has reached the final stage.

Just a day before Teknarayan Pandey went home as Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Pandey had taken the proposal to form a National Land Commission to the Council of Ministers. According to a source, the Ministry of Finance and Law has also agreed to the formation order. 'If the Supreme Court itself stops the formation of another squatters' commission, that is a different matter. If the Supreme Court paves the way, the National Land Commission will be formed immediately, ”said an undersecretary of the ministry.

The government has immediately tried to quell the protests by setting up another commission to protest the dismissal of the land issue. However, the government failed to form a new commission and two writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against the dismissal of the commission. Commission chairperson Devi Gyawali has also filed a writ petition at the apex court.

The posts of Minister and Secretary are currently vacant in the Ministry of Land Management. The Prime Minister himself has taken the responsibility of land management while Janak Raj Joshi has acted as the acting secretary. The formation of the squatters' commission has been viewed with great interest by the major political parties. In particular, the parties are interested in the political appointments to be made in the commission and the red card provided by the commission to the squatters.

The squatters' commission has only about 400 technical staff. Three political appointees have been appointed in each district. The staff working in the commission has been instructed to work till August.