Khotang. The National Land Commission (NLC) has started distributing land to the landless and unsystematic settlers of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality. The municipality has started distributing land ownership certificates to 297 households in the municipality on Thursday.

Mayor Tirtha Raj Bhattarai said that the second phase process has been started to provide the land ownership certificates soon after the distribution of NISSA to the landless and unsystematic settlers. “The ward office will identify the unregistered and barren land and recommend it to the municipality. “We will recommend to the National Land Commission on behalf of the municipality to provide the land ownership certificates to them based on the recommendation of the ward,” he said, adding, “After distributing the evidence to the beneficiaries, the ward office has to issue a seven-day notice of claim and protest.” If there is no objection to anyone’s claim in the public notice issued by the ward, we will initiate the process for the distribution of land ownership certificates on behalf of the municipality. ’

Dalits, squatters and unsystematic settlers who have been landless for a long time are hopeful of getting land ownership certificates in their name after receiving the land certificate in coordination with the municipality. According to the National Land Commission, there are 223 unsystematic settlers, 58 landless Dalit households and 58 households in Diktelbazaar.

Chairman of the National Land Commission, Nirmal Rai, said that there are 792 houses in the district, including landless Dalits, landless squatters and unsystematic settlers. “We have been working at a rapid pace to provide land to landless households and to manage the unsystematic settlements. “The sooner the concerned local level works, the sooner the landless people will get the land ownership certificates,” he said. We have started work to provide land to address their enthusiasm. ’

According to the information provided by the commission, there are 152 landless squatters, 49 houses of landless Dalit and 591 houses of unsystematic settlement in the district. Earlier, the Suresh Rai-led commission had started distributing NISA in Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality, the largest local level in the district, and had completed the verification of land in the name of beneficiaries of Khotehang, Jantedhunga and Barahapokhari rural municipalities÷.

In the case of landless Dalits and landless squatters, land shall be provided to any person or family who does not own any land within the state of Nepal and is unable to manage the land through their source of income or efforts. Similarly, in the case of unsystematic settlers, Section 52 (c) of the Land Related Act, 2021 states that the settlements mentioned in the land related to land are those who have been living in houses or farming for the past 10 years.

Landless Dalits and landless squatters will not be charged revenue for land acquisition, but the criteria have been determined keeping in mind the income of the unsystematic settlers, the nature of the property, the valuation of the land area, settlement and other facilities. According to the National Land Commission, landless Dalits and landless squatters will be provided land at the rate of 340 square meters (10 anna two paisa) and 3.09 for the construction of houses in the mountains and hills, and 3,000 square meters (5 ropanis and 14 anas) for farming.