Government drafts land acquisition guideline

Kathmandu February 24- The government has drafted a work procedure on land acquisition to expedite the process of obtaining private land to facilitate post-earthquake reconstruction works.

The work procedure has shortened many processes related to land acquisition to facilitate relocation and rehabilitation of victims of earthquakes of April and May, said Ramesh Dhakal, joint secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), which is helping the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) to frame the work procedure.

The provisions incorporated in the work procedure will strictly apply to land acquisition process related to post-earthquake reconstruction works. The provisions laid in the work procedure will supersede provisions of Land Acquisition Act 1977, Dhakal said.

This facility is expected to help NRA, which is mulling over relocating 143 settlements devastated by earthquakes and has floated plans to build smart cities, towns and villages at various places in quake-affected districts. The work procedure has also tried to simplify the process of extending compensation to owners whose land is being acquired.