Preparation Underway to Operate Land Administration Services at Local Levels; Collection of Interested Entities’ Details Ongoing

April 28, Kathmandu. Preparations are underway to operate land administration-related services through local government bodies. The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation has initiated plans to transfer services currently provided by Land Reform, Land Revenue, and Survey Offices to the local administrative units. To facilitate this, the ministry has requested letters from local bodies interested in providing these services, including details on the necessary human resources and infrastructure they can arrange independently.

According to the ministry’s letter dated April 23, local governments are required to submit their expressions of interest in operating land administration services within seven days. The submission of such letters from various municipalities is already in progress.

Chitwan’s Bharatpur Metropolitan City informed the ministry on April 27 of its intention to take over land administration services. Other municipalities are also expected to submit similar notifications, as confirmed by Rajendra Prasad Gautam, the ministry’s Information Officer. However, municipalities where relevant legislation is still pending have yet to begin operating these services, as the legal framework necessary for their operation is not yet in place. The future of Land Reform, Land Revenue, and Survey Offices remains uncertain due to the absence of finalized laws.

According to Information Officer Gautam, informal discussions are currently underway about merging Land Revenue and Survey Offices. He stated, “The clarity on how much work these offices will handle will only emerge once the law is finalized.” Due to the incomplete legal process, definitive statements about the offices’ futures cannot be made. Nevertheless, the ministry has sought letters from municipalities interested in providing land-related services in anticipation of the new legislation. Gautam added, “If detailed information is received from the municipalities during the law-making process, services can commence immediately after the law is enacted.”