HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Land transfer on hold
Govt launches drive for socio-economic reforms

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 16: The government has put a complete ban on buying, selling and transfer of ownership of land throughout the country from today until a new law is made, as a precursor to sweeping land reforms the government has decided to implement.

One of the components of the new land reforms measures is the lowering of the ceiling of land ownership.

The government will also propose a bill regarding this in the current session of the Parliament.

Giving a statement of public importance at the parliament today, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba announced special programmes regarding land reforms, abolition of social discrimination such as untouchability, women’s property right and discrimination against women, corruption and election reforms as the first phase programmes.

The government’s reform programmes got applause also from the oppositions, especially the main opposition CPN-UML, whose leaders and MPs thumped the desks a dozen times while the Prime Minister was giving his speech.

The Prime Minister also announced the prohibition of any kind of social discrimination based on caste and on entering into the temples, monastery or other religious sites from today. "Any such act of social discrimination and practice of untouchability is deemed as punishable offence," the Prime Minister announced.

Speaking at the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Deuba said the government has decided to move ahead with the drastic social and economic reforms on the basis of the talks with the opposition parties and their suggestions and recommendations.

"The reform packages are based on the 14-point agenda for national consensus proposed by former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the Parliament plus three more points added to it after talks with the opposition parties," Prime Minister Deuba said.

The Prime Minister said the government’s decision to implement new land reform measures was necessitated by new realities including the bringing down the ceiling on land holding and to carry on with the reforms started by the first Nepali Congress government led by late B. P. Koirala in 2015.

The Nepali Congress, since in inception, carries the concept of a revolutionary land reform since its inception, he said.

He also remarked the government would make all efforts to pass the bill related to land reform by the ongoing session of the parliament and for its effective implementation.

In yet another historical and forward-looking step for social justice, the Prime Minister said that the government would take initiative to pass women’s property right bill from the present session and also formulate laws to end gender discrimination.

The Prime Minister also said a National Women’s Commission would be formed for the long-term protection and propagation of women’s rights and interest by ending all kinds of oppressions and violence against women under any pretext and to do away with evils like dowry. A bill on this will be presented in the current session of the Parliament, said the Prime Minister.

Similarly, the Prime Minister said, "a bill would be introduced in the Parliament for the uplift and development of the religion, culture and language of the ethnic people along with an academy, empowered with full authority, would be formed powerful to look after the interest of the ethnic communities.

The Prime Minister also said the government would announce in this session a 25-year-long special action plan to establish socio-economic and political rights of women, oppressed, ethnic and tribal people and to provide them special protection for education and employment opportunities.

Similarly, the government has also announced to review all existing laws to make corruption a severely punishable crime.

The Prime Minister said the government has decided to pass the anti-corruption bill lying in the parliament and make additional legal provisions for taking strong actions against corruption which include the confiscation of property gained through corruption and other illegal means.

Likewise, the Prime Minister said the government would hasten the process of providing land and assistance for building houses for the freed Kamaiyas as demanded by all the political parties. "This will be completed by the end of Magh (February/March). Similarly, Prime Minister Deuba said the government would complete providing land-owners’ certificate to the landless people by the end of this fiscal year.

On election reforms, the Prime Minister said, a national consensus has already been forged and the government would implement the report of the high-level electoral reform commission with appropriate legal provisions.

Saying that all these pledges cannot be fulfilled by the government’s efforts alone, Prime Minister Deuba called on all the political parties and political forces for a national consensus and cooperation.

After the Prime Minister ended his speech, leaders of the CPN-UML K.P. Oli, Bharat Mohan Adhikary and Subash Nemwang shook hands with the Prime Minister confirming full support on the programmes.

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