Nepal's government has reclaimed 302 ropanis of encroached government and public land in Kathmandu, as part of implementing the report of the Rawal Commission, Radio Nepal reported on October 30. The Annapurna Express also reported the recovery of the 302 ropanis.

Source: Radio Nepal

The plots were recovered from Kathmandu Metropolis wards 4, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 29, totalling 302 ropanis. One ropani is equivalent to 5,476 square feet, so the recovered land comes to roughly 15 hectares. The Land Management Ministry had formed a Report Implementation Committee, coordinated by Chief Survey Officer Ramesh Gyawali, to carry out the work, according to the minister's secretariat.

Source: Radio Nepal

A three-decade-old report, finally being implemented

The High-Level Commission on Investigation and Protection of Government and Public Land, chaired by former government secretary Ram Bahadur Rawal, studied the status of government and public land and submitted its report in 2052 BS (1995-96), recommending protection of land that had been encroached upon or registered in the names of individuals.

Source: Radio Nepal

The commission had found 1,859 ropanis, 14 annas, 3 paisa and 3 daam of public and government land encroached across the then Kathmandu Metropolitan area, involving more than 2,070 parcels. A Supreme Court directive ordered the government to implement the recommendations, but successive governments did not act for nearly three decades. The Cabinet has now decided to enforce the report, establish a systematic nationwide record of government and public land, and initiate legal action against encroachers under prevailing laws.

Source: Fiscal Nepal

The 302 ropanis recovered so far are the first major tranche under the implementation drive. Officials have said the recovery work will continue toward the full area the commission identified.

Source: Radio Nepal