Land Minister Urges Local Governments to Complete Land Classification by Fiscal Year-End

Minister for Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, has urged all local levels to finish land classification work by the end of the current fiscal year. Speaking in Parliament during a discussion on the "Bill to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Land, 2025," he said delays could lead to various problems in managing land properly.

The minister explained that the purpose of the bill is to solve long-standing issues related to landless people, squatters and unmanaged settlements. He said the bill also aims to make real estate activities easier and reduce complications in land administration.

Responding to concerns of lawmakers, Minister Adhikari clarified that the bill is not designed to benefit land mafias or middlemen. He said that some people who bought land in the past without government approval will now be brought under legal regulation. In the course of eight years, over 100 such applications have been submitted, and the government plans to handle them in accordance with relevant laws, he said.

During the discussion, ruling party MPs expressed support for the bill, saying it introduces necessary legal improvements to deal with land-related challenges. However, opposition MPs raised concerns that the bill might exacerbate sale and division of farmland.

Lawmakers including Sushila Shirpali Thakuri, Metmani Chaudhary, Sumana Shrestha and Ganesh Parajuli participated in the debate. Many emphasized the need for clear and fair land laws and called on the government to ensure the need for bill's effective implementation without its misuse.