HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Lower House passes Land Bill 2058
Small farmers to benefit: Wagle, Oppositions stand against the Bill

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 12: The House of Representatives today passed the Land (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2058 by a majority vote.

The Bill was proposed in the House by Minister for Works and Physical Planning Chiranjibi Wagle on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also looking after the Ministry of Land Reforms.

While all the Left parties in the parliament, including CPN-UML voted against the bill and two non-Left parties, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and the Nepal Sadhvabana Party (NSP) boycotted the meeting of the House of Representatives in protest of the agenda for passing the bill. The Bill was sent and also tabled at the Upper House today for approval. The Bill was tabled in the Lower House of the Parliament about a month back.

The UML and other Left Parties were against the proposed ceiling of land-ownership, which they said was too high. The bill has put a ceiling of 11 bighas (10 for farming and one for homestead) of land in the Terai, 30 ropanies (25 for agriculture + 5 for homestead) in the hills and 15 (10+5) in the Kathmandu Valley.

But the UML and other Left parties were demanding the implementation of the ownership level as recommended by the Badal Commission. The Badal Commission had proposed the ceiling at almost half of what has been proposed in the Bill.

But the RPP and NSP were against the bill saying it would be discriminating to put the ceiling only on land. They were also demanding to put a ceiling on other properties. The NSP has also been raising the issue of citizenship certificates saying unless the citizenship issue is not solve the land reform would not succeed.

Meanwhile, RSS adds that responding to questions raised on the occasion, Wagle made it clear that the bill was brought about with the aim of improving the present state of landless and poor farmers and increasing agricultural productivity by providing fertilisers, irrigation, roads and other facilities.

Taking part in the general discussions were Ananda Prasad Pokhrel, Tukraj Sigdel, Bir Bahadur Lama, Pari Thapa, Narayanman Bijukchhe, Prem Bahadur Singh, Lalbabu Pandit, Sohan Prasad Chaudhary and Shankar Nath Sharma Adhikari.

Speaking during special hour at the meeting of the House of Representaties today, CPN (UML) chief whip Bharat Mohan Adhikari alleged that the land act bill has been brought up in an undemocratic way.

Stating that it is not proper to bring up the bill without going by the agreement to fix a land ceiling as per the Badal Commission report though it was agreed to do so, Adhikari said the first objective of the land reform should be to ensure social jusitce which is lacking in the bill.

The bill is unlikely to increase productivity and bring about a revolution in agriculture, he added.

Dilliram Acharya of the Rastriya Jana Morcha expressed the view that the increase in air fare and artificial shortage of sugar have caused trouble to the people instead of giving them relief at the time of Dashain.

Acharya wondered though the land in excess of the land-ceiling fixed by the government is said to be sold for the Dalits and the disadvantated sections of society, how can those people of the country where about 9 million people are below the poverty line buy the land.

Narayanman Bijukchhe of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party said under the pretext of American attacks on Afghanistan, blackmarketeers are hiding their goods and spoke of the need for the government to become aware of the impact caused by the attacks.

CPN (UML)'s Prem Bahadur Singh noted that the ceasefire between the government and the Maoists is limited just not to perpetrate killings by either side and complained that the Maoists have not yet stopped such acts as extortions and intimidation in various places.

Mahendra Bahadur Pandey of the same party said the Maoists looted things at eight VDCs in Nuwakot in broad daylight.

He also complained that there are serious problems in the health sector, incubator, ventilator and ICU are out of order at Kanti and Maternity Hospitals and for lack of regulations, Nepalis are forced to spend millions of rupees for kidney transplant in foreign countries.

Til Kumar Meyangbo, also of the CPN-UML demanded that a special program should be launched for providing telephone services in the eastern region under the rural electrification programme.

CPN-UML's Astalaxmi Shakya alleged that though some Rs 1.26 million was allocated for Jyapu Mahaguthi for promoting art and culture of the Jyapus, the amount has been provided to the Narayan Family Club.

CPN (UML)'s Tarasam Yangya 12 hundred dairy associations are now in trouble because of milk holiday.

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