Lower House Approves Land Bill Despite Concerns

 Kathmandu, August 29: The Lower House of Nepal’s Federal Parliament has approved the Land Bill, proposed by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari. The bill was passed by a majority in the House of Representatives after earlier being reviewed clause by clause by the Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources Committee.

The bill aims to distribute land to over 1.1 million landless Dalits, squatters, and unorganized settlers across Nepal, while also allowing real estate professionals to buy and sell land. Minister Adhikari emphasized that the bill does not provide land beyond legal limits and is intended to benefit landless groups. Once enacted, it will amend the Land Act, 1964, National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973, and Forest Act, 2019, enabling low-cost housing projects to be sold legally. Even land not classified as residential will be allowed to be divided and sold, while the state can provide land to unorganized settlers.

The bill will now move to the Upper House (National Assembly). After approval there, it will be sent to the President for certification and will become law once published in the Nepal Gazette.

However, the bill faces criticism. The Nepal Majdoor and Kisan Party called for its withdrawal, claiming it may unfairly benefit unorganized settlers under the guise of helping landless Dalits. Opposition parties—including CPN-MC, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N)—have raised concerns that the bill could favor business interests over environmental and legal safeguards.

JSP-N, led by Upendra Yadav, has warned that the bill could disturb the demographic balance in Madhes Province, promote deforestation, and trigger population migration. The party, with three lawmakers in the National Assembly, is expected to play a key role in debates in the Upper House. The government, currently in a minority in the 59-member National Assembly, holds only 28 votes, making opposition support critical for the bill’s passage.

The Land Bill remains a contentious issue, highlighting the challenge of balancing development, social justice, and environmental protection in Nepal.

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