Kathmandu, September 30.
Dambar Bahadur’s late father, Raj Bahadur Limbu, heard the term ‘Lalpurja’ (Land Ownership Certificate) many times during his lifetime, but never got to see or touch one registered in his own name. Dambar Bahadur recalls how his father was constantly worried about potential eviction due to lack of legal ownership of the house and land they occupied in Juneli, Buddhashanti Rural Municipality–4.
Dambar Bahadur carried that same wait for the land ownership certificate his father never got to see. Before that wait could end, his father passed away five years ago. On Tuesday, however, that long wait finally came to an end for Dambar Bahadur, who had been carrying his father’s unfulfilled dream.
When the 55-year-old Limbu received the official ‘Landowner Registration Certificate’ for the land where he had built a home and lived for 35 years during a program at the rural municipality’s hall, his eyes welled up with tears of joy. Years of struggle and memories of his father rushed through his mind all at once. Securing legal ownership of the land he had used for 36 years felt like setting down a heavy lifelong burden.
“Though late, we finally received the certificate,” Limbu expressed joyfully. “My father passed away without seeing the land ownership certificate. The certificate he wished to see all his life is in my hands today. Receiving the land rights in my own time makes me remember my father even more. My mother at home will be overjoyed to hear this news. Now that the land is in my name, I feel relieved—it feels like a secure future for my children.”
It was not just Dambar Bahadur; 53-year-old Saraswati Rai and 50-year-old Sabita Thebe of Juneli settlement also beamed with similar joy on Tuesday. Having waited years for land ownership, the certificates in their hands represented far more than just paper documents. Leaving behind their long-held identity as landless or unorganized settlers, they felt the true pride of owning land in their own names.
In an emotion-filled voice, Saraswati said, “Without a certificate, we couldn’t take bank loans, nor could we take pride in having our own land. Holding this red certificate in my own name today makes me feel like forgetting years of pain and uncertainty.” Similarly, Sabita Thebe added, “Without land in our name, we always had to live with the label of landless squatters. We built houses, worked hard, and raised children here, but the land wasn’t ours. Today, we feel what it truly means to be citizens.”
Including Dambar Bahadur, Saraswati, and Sabita, 26 unorganized settlers from Juneli received land ownership registration certificates on Tuesday. The District Land Problem Resolution Committee of Jhapa distributed the certificates to them.
A Struggle Spanning Three Decades
Speaking at the distribution program, Ward No. 4 Chairperson Sher Bahadur Rai stated that the struggle to secure land rights has been long and continuous. According to him, providing land ownership certificates to unorganized settlers in the ward had been prioritized since the first local government elections.
“Ever since we were elected, we have worked hard on how to get land certificates into the hands of ward residents,” he said. “In the meantime, various land commissions were formed and dissolved repeatedly, due to which work couldn’t progress as expected. Continuing the legacy work, we have gradually reached the stage of distributing ownership certificates.”
He emphasized that the certificate is not merely a paper proving land ownership, but the end of insecurity felt across generations. “This is not just a piece of paper; it is the end of generations of insecurity,” he noted.
Vice-Chairperson of the Rural Municipality, Bhawani Prasad Khatiwada, stated that land rights are essential for citizens to live safe, dignified, and self-reliant lives. He informed that land-related administrative work was carried out continuously even on public holidays. He added that the happiness and satisfaction seen on the faces of families receiving certificates after years of waiting highlights the true significance and purpose of this campaign.
Impact of Frequently Changing Commissions
Manoj Prasai, Chairperson of the Rural Municipality, stated that frequent changes in land commissions adversely affected the work of resolving land issues. He assured that the rural municipality remains committed to completing procedures and providing land certificates to all remaining eligible beneficiaries.
“Because commissions changed repeatedly, land problem resolution work could not maintain continuity, and we had to face its consequences,” he said. “Now, however, we have prioritized completing the due process for remaining citizens to provide them with certificates. We are accelerating work in coordination with the District Land Problem Resolution Committee.”
According to Devendra Katuwal, Head of the Land Section at the Rural Municipality, land certificates have been distributed in multiple phases. In June/July 2022 (Asar 2079 B.S.), 42 beneficiaries received certificates; in June/July 2025 (Asar 2082 B.S.), 148 received them; and in June/July 2026 (Asar 2083 B.S.), five landless squatters, landless Dalits, and unorganized settlers received land certificates.
He informed that procedures are underway to distribute land ownership certificates to 148 landless squatters, 31 landless Dalits, and 6,223 unorganized settlers within the municipality. Data collection work has been completed, and remaining legal procedures are being expedited.
‘Only Genuine Beneficiaries Should Receive Certificates’
Shrawan Kumar Pokharel, Chairperson of the District Land Problem Resolution Committee Jhapa and Chief District Officer, stated that the administration is vigilant in ensuring that only genuine beneficiaries receive land ownership registration certificates. He informed that efforts are being accelerated to make the resolution process transparent and systematic, delivering certificates to eligible citizens through proper legal channels.
“We are mindful that only real claimants receive land ownership. The process is being moved forward ensuring no one’s rights are encroached upon and no genuine beneficiary is left out,” he said. “The concerned ward issues a 7-day public notice for claims and objections. Once decided at the ward level, the municipality re-verifies it, and after completing the necessary legal formalities through the district committee, land certificates are distributed.”
He added that efforts are being made to make land problem resolution service-friendly and minimize unnecessary hassle. “We are working to connect services with service seekers and ensure their satisfaction,” he said. “If issues arise that cannot be solved locally, provisions are in place to coordinate through the district up to the central level.”
He advised that after obtaining land ownership, citizens should connect it with production to become self-reliant. “Receiving the certificate in hand is just the beginning; now the land should be linked with production to build an income base,” he stated.
According to Shiva Prasad Lamsal, Head of the Survey Office in Bhadrapur and Member Secretary of the District Land Problem Resolution Committee, land certificate distribution is ongoing in Arjundhara, Kankai, and Mechinagar within the district. Procedures are also moving forward across other local levels, he informed.
(RSS)
