Posted on: 2014-11-03 09:14

KATHMANDU, NOV 02 

Responding to rampant land plotting across the country for commercial and housing purposes, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has banned such fragmentation of property without local authorities’ prior consent.

The ministry has asked all the local bodies—Village Development Committees, District Development Committees and municipalities—not to allow land plotting without prior consent.

The government units have been directed to keep the records of existing land plotting, and prepare land use plans within six months in accordance with the central land use policy prepared by the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management two years ago.

Local bodies have been asked to chalk out land use policies in accordance with the Environment Friendly Governance (2070) and National Housing Plan. “Once the land plotting policy is readied at the local level, the ministry plans to ban land fragmentation in populous cities and farmlands. Only designated areas will be opened up for residential purposes,” said Joint-secretary Gopi Krishna Khanal.

In addition, the local authorities are required to collect the details of illegal land plotting and make the people aware of it.

The directives come after the parliamentary Development Committee and the government were prepared to ban land plotting without permission. “Housing entrepreneurs caused serious environmental problems at the local level,” said Development Committee Chairperson Rabindra Adhikari.

The local bodies are independent in deciding revenue collection and regulate land use. “The autonomous bodies should come up with sustainable development plans instead of focusing only on revenue collection,” said Adhikari.

While the real estate sector does a brisk business across the country, fertile farmland is turning into concrete jungles. The ministry believes that land mafias will be discouraged once land sale is regulated.

news source : the kathmandu post.