KATHMANDU, Oct 7: For families waiting years for answers about loved ones who disappeared in disasters, the government is preparing to shorten the legal wait for declaring them dead.
A Cabinet meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar on Wednesday decided to recommend that the President issue an ordinance to amend laws related to disasters.
Government spokesperson and Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel said the ordinance would reduce the existing 12-year waiting period for people who go missing in disasters.
Govt recommends president to issue five ordinances
Under the current law, a missing person cannot be legally declared dead until 12 years have passed since their disappearance. This long wait can leave families in limbo, preventing them from accessing relief, claiming insurance, transferring inheritance and completing other legal procedures.
The government has decided to shorten the waiting period, but has not yet disclosed the new timeframe.
Minister Pokharel said the revised period would become clear after the ordinance is authenticated and issued.
Once endorsed by the President, the amended provision is expected to ease the legal and financial burden on families of people missing in disasters, allowing them to access relief and settle property and other legal matters sooner.
The Cabinet also recommended ordinances to amend certain laws related to land and forests.
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