KATHMANDU: Fifty families in Torikhoriya, Panauti Municipality-2 of Kavrepalanchok district, are living as landless residents due to the lack of official land ownership certificates. Despite owning homes and farmlands, the residents have been unable to secure legal titles to the land they have occupied for years.

Political parties and candidates have frequently promised to provide land titles during elections, yet the issue remains unresolved. Although the District Land Problem Resolution Committee conducted a technical survey of the occupied plots, the process stalled after the land was identified as government forest area in official records.

Ashok Bhusal, chief survey officer at the Survey Office in Kavrepalanchok, stated that they surveyed land occupied by 51 households. However, since the land is registered as government forest, it cannot be transferred to individuals until the records are updated and public notices are issued. The Division Forest Office has requested a waiting period, citing that the Forest Act is currently undergoing amendments.

Krishna Thapa, chief of the Division Forest Office in Kavrepalanchok, explained that under current laws, individuals cannot claim rights over national forest land. While regulations exist to provide land to landless Dalits and squatters for housing and agriculture, the status of the forest land prevents immediate issuance of titles.

The lack of legal ownership has caused significant administrative and financial hardships for the locals. Residents are unable to secure bank loans, register businesses, or use their land as collateral for educational expenses. Local resident Surya Tamang expressed that obtaining the certificates would provide much-needed support during times of crisis, allowing them to utilize their land effectively.