DANG, Feb 28: Province 5 has been preparing to validate land transactions done during the conflict era by the Maoist-run 'people's government'. The provincial government has come up with five-point conclusion in this regard.
According to Kul Prasad KC, Internal Affairs and Law Minister, the provincial government is set to validate written documents regarding the land issue. Stating that the then 'people's government' had done many works in villages and towns, all with good intentions he said that not abiding by that now would not be good. “Now, we should not say that we would not go by the decisions made then,” he said.
Citing the efforts of the then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to legalize those papers, which was later turned down by the Supreme Court, KC said that the provincial government would now take decision 'in favor of the people'.
Province moves to validate conflict-era land deals
However, the land sold and purchased that way has been resold in many cases. Even the price of the land is now a new issue.
'People's government' had carried out transaction of such land in Rukum in a large scale. That is why, the provincial government has to be more serious about it, KC asserted. “Those who have already sold their lands should not reclaim the lands. We are going to make law that will deliver justice to the buyers,” he said. He further said that a commission would be formed to look into this matter.
Meanwhile, constitutional expert Bhimarjun Archarya said that conflict-era land transactions cannot be validated. "The current constitution does not envisage such a possibility."
