Officials at the ministry have started preparatory works to merge the land revenue, survey and land reforms offices into one.[break]
They have sent their initial draft to this effect to the Administrative Restructuring Commission.
Officials said the plan aims at providing quality services in a swift and cost-effective way regarding land transactions to service seekers through one window system across the country.
The MoLRM took the initiative in a bid to address the complaints filed by service seekers at the offices concerning land acquisition, possessions and transactions.
“We have already submitted our proposal on merging the three offices," Tikaram Ghimire, under secretary at the MoLRM said, adding, “We have also suggested a name for the office to be merged.”
According to him, the ministry has proposed that the new merged office be called ´Land Administration Office´. They have also suggested alternative names ´Land Management´ or ´Land Reform Office´.
Land revenue, survey and land reform offices have been running separately under the MoLRM for long. Of the three, land revenue and survey offices are located in all 75 districts of the country. There are 83 land revenue and 83 survey offices across the country. Some major districts including Kathmandu have more than one land revenue and survey offices.
People have been complaining chronically over the service delivery at these offices. There are 21 land reforms offices across the country.
Complaints show that service seekers are compelled to spend unnecessary time, efforts, money and resources to get even basic services at these offices. These offices have their own respective jurisdictions in the field of land transactions. However, their activities are closely interlinked.
Peoples are also inconvienced because these offices are located at different places.
In case a merger is not possible soon, officials at the minsitry have suggested setting up these three offices in one building or in one place.
700 posts vacant
The MolRM said that 706 posts are vacant under its offices for the last one year. According to the ministry, the vacant posts at land revenue, survey and land reforms offices have seriously affected service delivery. Records show that the posts of 300 land surveyors, 180 kharidars, 45 computer operators, 28 nayab subbas, 29 under-secretaries, 12 section officers and two joint secretaries are vacant for the past one year.
“We have time and again asked the Ministry of General Administration to fill the vacancies soon,” Begendra Paudyal, joint secretary at the MolRM told myepublica.
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