Govt in September had repealed its earlier decisions and eased plotting and fragmentation of land

KATHMANDU, Dec 8:  The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday scrapped the government’s earlier decision to open land for plotting and fragmentation.

A joint bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR and Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma dismissed the minister-level decision made by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty, Padma Aryal, press expert at the SC, Kishor Poudel told Republica over the phone.

The apex court conducted a hearing to the writ petition registered by advocate trio Santosh Bhandari, Sujan Nepal and Nawaraj Pandey against the government’s decision to ease the land fragmentation.

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty (MoLMCP), earlier on September 2, had eased the restrictions that it had earlier imposed on the plotting of land as part of efforts to contain the rapid urbanization and shrinkage of arable land.

Earlier in August 2017, the government had barred plotting, fragmentation and splitting of arable land without the authorities’ permission. The decision restricting the plotting and fragmentation of arable land had sparked criticism from real estate agents and property developers. They had long been lobbying with the authorities to withdraw the restrictions imposed on land-plotting.

Officials at the MoLMCP, however, had claimed that the decision was taken in view of complaints from the public who have been facing practical difficulties in splitting their land.

 
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