KATHMANDU: The National Land Commission is going to initiate the process to distribute land to landless Dalits, the landless squatters, and unsystematic settlers from coming mid-January next year.

Commission’s chairperson Keshav Niraula here today shared that the land would be distributed prioritizing the Dalits not having a land of their own.

The erstwhile dissolved Landless Squatters Problems Resolution Commission, based on the applications received from the landless squatters in 40 districts and record-keeping in other remaining districts, had registered 1.5 million to 1.7 million landless squatters in the country, according to Niraula.

Nirauala shared that the Commission, which is preparing to distribute land, will make public its plans once the legal process is completed.

Identification and classification of the landless squatters will be carried out in representation of all political parties, local level, and civic societies, he said.

He assured that the landless squatters’ problems will be resolved from mid-January 2022. “We are planning to distribute land ownership certificates to a large number of beneficiaries.”

The works undertaken by the erstwhile government will be continued following a necessary investigation. The Commission’s undertaking should not be politically tainted, he opined.

Similarly, under-secretary of the Commission, Mani Regmi shared that the land distribution work will be forwarded with the Commission gaining a full shape.

Those residing in the public land will be relocated to the legal lands while those residing in the urban areas would get 130 square meters of land.