Government issues Land Use Regulations; land classified into 10 zones

KATHMANDU, JUNE 2: The government has issued the Land Use Regulations, dividing land into 10 zones based on its features. At a press meet held in the capital on Wednesday, Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Shashi Shrestha issued the Regulations and informed about the classification of land.

The land has been categorized as an agricultural zone, residential zone, commercial zone, industrial zone, area of mines and minerals, forest zone, public use zone, area of cultural and archeological importance, and others being based on topographic features, efficiency and utility of land, its existing use and necessity. As the Minister said, the regulations prohibit commercial land plotting and its sale in areas except in classified areas for residential purposes. She was hopeful of the implementation of the regulations as it was issued in coordination with the stakeholders concerned.

The regulations have the provision that the federal level will deal with the land use mapping procedures across the country and hand it to the local level which can revise and update the mapping as per its needs and implement it. According to the minister, one land zone may have sub-zones such as grains production sub-zone and fruits production sub-zone. The regulations grant the right to the landowner to go to a court if the party finds the classification unconvincing.

According to the Minister, federal, provincial, and local levels will prepare land use plans and the province is required not to prepare a plan adverse to the federal plan and the local level not to contradict with the province plan. The data achieving of the mapping shall be maintained. Likewise, the regulations do not entertain the use of land classified into one category for another purpose, and the land use classification is changeable through due process.

Likewise, the federal government can alter the land use if valuable minerals are found in the land use zone if priority projects were to be operated on it or for any other plausible reason like it falling in the international border security, development, tourism, world heritage sites, etc. The local level can change the land use for the purpose of disaster risk management, shifting the insecure settlements, prepare the basis and criteria required for regulating and checking the land plotting and demarcation. A provision has also been made for implementing the land pooling program for the purpose of mechanization of agricultural land.

Rs 100 thousand fine if land left uncultivated

It is stated that it would be considered an offense if the land is used in a way the natural course of the river is diverted or if the programs are run in contravention of the three tiers of land use maps and plans. Similarly, not cultivating the land classified as agricultural land continuously for three years except in situations which are out of human control and changing the specified land use zone into other than what is stated in the Act will also be punishable. 

A fine of up to Rs 100 thousand would be charged in case of the aforementioned offenses. Minister Shrestha said that an action plan would be prepared for the implementation of the Land Use Regulations. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 23 approved the Regulations. Land Bank is only suspended Minister Shrestha said that the land bank has not been revoked. She said it has only been suspended for the time being. Ministry secretary Ram Prasad Thapaliya said the Regulation has been introduced for conserving the agricultural land.

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