Power game plagues squatters' commission

KATHMANDU, Dec 25: Ruthless power-sharing struggle among political parties is likely to render a high level commission recently formed to resolve the problem of landless squatters dysfunctional. The government had formed the commission on December 9 even as the country was witnessing violent clashes over seizure of land by squatters affiliated to the UCPN-Maoist. [break]



The commission led by Gopal Mani Gautam was entrusted with the task of collecting authentic data about landless squatters in 23 districts and also provide them with identification in second phase. The commission, as proposed by the ministry, would also recommend modes of compensation to people whose land had been acquired by the government.



However, with each party demanding its share of the pie, the commission has not even been able to take full shape. Nepali Congress has claimed 10 districts, CPN (UML) seven, Madhesi People´s Right Forum (MPRF) four and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) two, to appoint their cadres as local co-coordinators, a source at Ministry for Land Reform and Management said.



Minister Dambar Shrestha told myrepublica.com that he would rather withdraw his proposal from the Bill Committee of the cabinet should he be forced to yield to the demands of political parties. “I will rather take my proposal back than bow to political pressure,” he warned.



Shrestha said previous commissions were known to have granted land to Hukumbasi (fake squatters) as a political favor and insists that he would not let it happen again. He also claimed that the Bill Committee has been lingering the proposal because of political reasons.



The commission´s central body already has 13 members, including five representatives from political parties.



The commission was formed after a couple of previous commissions failed to even ascertain the real number of landless squatters in the country. The reports of the previous commissions have long been gathering dust. The government has not yet distributed land ownership certificates to the concerned beneficiaries recommended by those commissions.



Minister Shrestha told myrepublica.com that the Gautam Commission would first probe into the legitimacy of beneficiaries whom former governments decided to grant ownership certificates which, however, are not yet distributed by the respective District Land Revenue Offices due to controversies. “Illegitimate beneficiaries will be written off,” he added.

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