KATHMANDU, Jan 6: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA) Kumar Ingnam is taking bold steps to curb middlemen in land revenue and survey offices and speed up service delivery.
He unveiled a sweeping 39-point action plan aimed at immediately improving land and property administration, surveying, mapping, guthi management, and cooperative services.
Part of the minister’s crackdown includes transferring office chiefs wherever complaints or disputes arise. On Sunday alone, three land revenue office chiefs in the Kathmandu Valley were reassigned: Lalitpur Land Revenue Office Chief Ashok Bhattarai, Bhaktapur Chief Madhav Ghimire, and Chabahil Chief Dipendra Khatri. Following Minister Ingnam’s recommendation, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) has placed them in the additional group, and a new chief has been posted to the Chabahil Land Revenue Office.
Nepal Lekhapadhi Association objects to various land revenue an...
Under the 39-point plan, the ministry will also publish a client handbook for survey and land revenue offices. Written in simple language, it will guide citizens on which employee to meet for specific services, the expected time for each service, the costs involved, the required documents, and how to prepare them. The handbook will be available both at the offices and on the MoLCPA website. “Service seekers can now access all land revenue and survey services independently, without relying on middlemen,” said a MoLCPA official.
To further curb middlemen, Minister Ingnam has ordered immediate updates to the system, nationwide property record updates for government, public, and private land, the opening of five additional survey and land revenue offices, improved service delivery, preparation of guthi land records, resolution of birta land issues, and updates to land costs exceeding standard limits. “The 39-point action plan will be implemented immediately, with deadlines for each action,” said Ganesh Bhatta, MoLCPA spokesperson. “Efforts have already begun to streamline land revenue and survey offices for faster service, as directed by the minister.”
The reform program also calls for establishing land service centers in at least 10 local units immediately. Since his appointment, Minister Ingnam has personally visited various land revenue and survey offices to monitor services and prevent middlemen. According to a MoLCPA secretariat official, the action plan is based on complaints received during these monitoring visits, ensuring reforms target real issues on the ground.
Vacancies could hamper reforms
While the reforms roll out, challenges remain. Eighteen chief land revenue officer positions, equivalent to undersecretary level, are vacant across the country, including Mahottari, Chandranigahapur, Lahan, Dang, Bhairahwa, Kailali, Surkhet, Lamjung, and Khairahani in Chitwan. MoLCPA staff say vacancies and acting appointments could slow down service delivery.
Sources at the Department of Land Management and Archive (DoLMA) report 28 vacant senior clerk positions nationwide. Several officers are reportedly left unassigned, some without even being marked present. A senior MoLCPA official said the ministry is taking this seriously and plans to summon DoLMA’s Director General for discussion.
When approached for comment, DoLMA spokesperson Hariprasad Pant said he was unaware of personnel issues and suggested contacting the Employee Administration Division. Under Secretary Krishnaprasad Bhandari declined to comment, advising inquiries be directed to the spokesperson. Multiple attempts to reach DoLMA Director General Shivaprasad Regmi were unsuccessful.
