KATHMANDU, March 1: The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) has identified at least 275 plots as illegal within the Kathmandu Valley. In response, the KVDA has urged the public to refrain from buying or selling such plots due to the associated risks. The Authority has also prepared to stop the acquisition of illegally plotted land.
The town development, urban planning and building-related basic guidance, 2074 and and Kathmandu Valley Development Authority Rule, 2064 mentions that, at least five percent of the total land (land in the name of individuals except government, private, public) should be left open, the entrance way into the plan should be at least eight meters wide, the inner road should be at least 6 meters wide, there should be facilities such as gymnasium, park, sewerage, lights, water etc.
Januka Dhakal, chief commissioner of the KVDA, said that while plotting land after obtaining permission from the government, at least five percent of the total area must be left open.
“We have requested everyone not to buy plotting land without permission because there is a loss on the land purchased in that way. Such land is also risky. There may be no open space, no sewage, no water,” Dhakal said.
According to Dhakal, within a day or two, the authority will write letters to all the ward offices of the 18 municipalities in the Kathmandu Valley not to recommend for the acquisition of illegally plotted land. “Until now, we have written to all municipalities, land registry office and surveyor office in the valley and requested them to stop illegal plotting. Now we will do such correspondence at the ward offices as well,” said Dhakal, “Since the ward office is the body that recommends the plotting of land, the trend of illegal plotting will stop after the ward office does not recommend it.”
KVDA issues directive to remove illegal structures
According to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority Act, 2045, permission must be obtained from the district planning office of the authority for plotting up to five ropanis and from the management sub-committee of the authority for plotting between five ropanis and 50 ropanis.
The chairman of the Management Sub-Committee within the KVDA is the Deputy Development Commissioner of the Authority. In cases where plotting on land involves more than 50 plots, permission must be sought from the KVDA Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is typically the Development Commissioner of the Authority. These hierarchical structures ensure proper oversight and decision-making processes within the Authority regarding land development and planning activities within the Kathmandu Valley.
A meeting of the Authority's Board of Directors held a few days ago decided to stop illegal plotting in the Kathmandu Valley. According to the decision, correspondence has been sent to the municipality, land revenue office and land survey offices of the valley, Dhakal said.
According to her, the Authority had studied the issue of illegal plotting in the valley some time ago. From the study, it has been found that 95 plots in Bhaktapur, 92 in Lalitpur, 90 to 92 in Kathmandu are illegal.
It has been found from the study that the illegal plotting leaves very little open area, the entrance road and internal roads are narrower than the standard width, there is no gymnasium, garden, sewerage, water facility but the price is set too high.
In Sections 8 and 9 of the KVDA Act, 2045, there is a provision that the Authority has the right to recommend action in accordance with the law for land-plotting done without permission.
According to the provision, the Authority has initiated the legal process. Two years ago, the Lalitpur and Bhaktapur project offices of the Authority had issued a public notice to stop illegal plotting.
392 plots legal
According to the Authority, there are 392 legal plots in the valley. The KVDA says there is no problem in buying and selling land in that plot.
According to Saurabh Dhakal, information officer of KDVA, till mid-July 2021, businessmen have taken permissions to plot 229 plots from Kathmandu project office of the Authority, 150 from Lalitpur project office and 46 from the Bhaktapur project office.
Likewise, the businessmen have taken permission from the head office of the Authority for two projects. Dhakal said that after mid-July 2021, businessmen have taken permission to plot about 10 more pieces of land in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.
