Prime Minister Balendra Shah has instructed security agencies to clear areas inhabited by squatters. The government plans to complete an integrated digital registry of the landless, squatters, and those living in unplanned settlements within 60 days. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswap) has pledged to establish a high-level National Land Rights Authority to resolve the squatter issue. April 23, Kathmandu.
The topic resurfaced after Prime Minister Balendra Shah directed security chiefs to vacate the areas where squatters live. During a discussion with heads of security agencies on Wednesday, the Prime Minister emphasized evacuating these settlements. Notably, the government’s initial Cabinet-approved reform agenda, which includes 100 tasks, does not feature a policy to remove the landless, squatters, or unorganized settlements.
However, item number 90 in the reform agenda commits to collecting integrated data on the landless, squatters, and unplanned settlements. The government plans to complete digital biometric authentication of landless squatters and those living in unregulated settlements nationwide within 60 days. The Shah-led government aims to resolve these issues within 1,000 days.
During this period, local bodies will coordinate to conduct household surveys and implement clear criteria to identify genuine beneficiaries. Additionally, efforts will focus on updating records related to public, communal (ailani), and trust (guthi) lands, along with surveying and creating a GIS-based digital database. The reform agenda outlines various measures concerning squatters. The government has committed to gradually providing land to legitimate squatters.
For squatters and the landless living in urban areas, the reform plan includes creating integrated housing alternatives as well as rehabilitation arrangements. The government has assured full transparency in the land distribution and rehabilitation processes for the landless. Prior to the elections, Raswap had pledged to form a high-level Land Rights Authority to address squatter issues.
Raswap promised to set up a ‘high-level National Land Rights Authority’ to differentiate between genuine and fraudulent squatters. Their manifesto stated, “Learning from past failures, through satellite mapping and digital biometric authentication, a scientific distinction will be made between true landless individuals and fake squatters occupying government land.” For legitimate landless citizens, the plan includes developing integrated model settlements that are secure, equipped with facilities, linked to productive activities, and guaranteeing permanent housing and land ownership certificates (lalpurja).
