Land ownership certificate distribution process accelerated in Jhapa

BHADRAPUR: The process of distributing land ownership certificates to landless people has gained momentum in Jhapa following the recent visit of Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration Pratibha Rawal.

The District Land Problem Resolution Committee has prepared to distribute land ownership certificates to 2,339 families from three local levels in the first phase.

At a meeting held on Friday, the committee made public the names of eligible landless Dalits, landless squatters and families living in unorganised settlements from Buddhshanti Rural Municipality, Arjundhara Municipality and Mechinagar Municipality.

According to the committee, the list includes 1,364 families from Buddhshanti Rural Municipality, 964 from Arjundhara Municipality and 11 from Mechinagar Municipality.

Chief District Officer Shravan Kumar Pokharel said distributing land ownership certificates to all 2,339 families in a single phase could mark a significant milestone in the district’s efforts to address landlessness.

He added that a second-phase notice would be published after the local levels verify and submit additional names for inclusion in the distribution process.

According to the available records, a total of 60,570 families in Jhapa have applied for land ownership. These include 2,896 landless Dalit families, 15,783 landless squatters and 41,851 families living in unorganised settlements.

Additionally, applications from 5,296 families had remained incomplete or unresolved during the tenure of previous land commissions.

During her recent visit to Jhapa, Minister Rawal had directed Chief District Officer Pokharel to expedite the distribution of land ownership certificates to eligible landless families.

Following the minister’s directive, the district administration has mobilised additional human resources and intensified the necessary procedures to facilitate the distribution.

The initiative is expected to provide legal recognition of land ownership to eligible families who have been living without formal land rights for years.