KATHMANDU: The first 100 days of the government led by Prime Minister Balen Shah have been marked by criticism over its handling of landless settlers, with three displaced individuals reported dead and concerns mounting over delayed resettlement and rehabilitation efforts.
While ministries have published lengthy lists of achievements to mark the government’s first 100 days in office, questions have been raised over the implementation of its commitment to address the issue of landless settlers and unmanaged housing.
In its 100-point governance reform agenda released after taking office, the government had pledged to complete an integrated digital database and verification of landless settlers and unmanaged residents across the country within 60 days. However, critics say the government has instead focused on clearing informal settlements while failing to ensure adequate rehabilitation for displaced families.
According to the report, two displaced settlers died by suicide during the eviction campaign, while another died at a government holding centre. Families relocated to temporary holding centres in the Kathmandu Valley are reported to be living in difficult conditions and have staged protests demanding their constitutional right to housing. The report also claims that one displaced person was detained after criticizing the government on social media, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation has listed the creation of a digital dashboard containing records of landless Dalits, squatters and unmanaged settlers among its achievements during the first 100 days. However, although the dashboard has been developed, the broader task of collecting and verifying nationwide digital records remains incomplete.
The government launched its campaign to remove settlements considered to be in high-risk areas, including those in the Kathmandu Valley, on Baishakh 12. Displaced families are currently staying in temporary holding centres while authorities continue collecting data and verifying their eligibility.
Progress on land management
The ministry has introduced new operational guidelines and assigned responsibility for implementing long-term solutions to the Land Management Committee, which was formed under the leadership of Balabhadra Bastola following a Cabinet decision on Jestha 19.
According to Information Officer Sanjeev Kumar Sah, the process of creating a digital database of landless Dalits, squatters and unmanaged settlers is nearing completion. Local governments are updating records through digital entries, and details of around 1.248 million individuals have already been uploaded, compared to approximately 1.12 million recorded under the previous government.
The government has also begun distributing land ownership certificates. As announced by Land Management Minister Pratibha Rawal, 29 families in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality-4 of Bardiya have received land ownership certificates. Of them, two families are landless Dalits and 27 are landless settlers who have lived in the area for about 15 years.
Under the new policy, beneficiaries may retain ownership only up to the legal landholding limit, while any excess land will remain under government ownership.
Officials say future land distribution will rely on data collected by previous commissions and updated through the new digital system. Authorities plan to gradually resolve the cases of around 13,000 to 14,000 landless settlers and 30,000 to 35,000 unmanaged residents across Bardiya.
However, committee officials have acknowledged that resolving land-related issues nationwide within the government’s target timeframe remains a significant challenge, saying the situation is more complex than initially anticipated and may require additional time.
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