July 27: The government has started implementing the ceiling on land ownership in accordance to the Land Related Act (eighth amendment). There has been an encouraging participation from the private sector to claim the facilities announced by the government while implementing the act.

The government had made an announcement last year that private industries, companies and corporations that have purchased land against the law will get valid certificates for one time.

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation has made a special provision with the amendment which allows the institutions that have acquired more land that the ceiling set by the government to keep the additional land provided that they submit a written application within three months validating the reason for the need of additional land. 

Before the lockdown, the government had sought applications within three months from those who wanted to bring the illegally possessed land within the legal ambit.

According to the ministry, altogether 95 individuals have submitted applications for this purpose.

The ministry informed that the time period to submit the application has been extended until August 16 considering the difficulty caused by the lockdown.

If the ministry considers it relevant for the individual or companies to keep the additional land, then those individuals or institutions will have to pay Rs 150,000 per bigha of land in terai and Rs 50,000 per ropani land in Kathmandu valley to validate their certificates.