On Mangsir 15, the Supreme Court issued a verdict reinstating the Land Problem Resolution Commission, directing both the central commission and its district-level bodies to continue functioning in their existing state. The decision came in response to a petition filed by Commission Chair Hari Prasad Rijal.
Earlier, on Asoj 23, the Cabinet had decided to dissolve the commission. Following the government’s move, a writ petition was filed, and on Kartik 13 the Supreme Court issued an interim order halting the dissolution. A few days later, another interim order reinforced that the commission should remain operational.
However, even after ten days of the final verdict and nearly one and a half months since the interim order, the reinstated commission has not been able to resume its work. According to Vice-Chair and spokesperson Sanat Kumar Karki, the commission remains inactive due to a lack of cooperation from the government.
“The Supreme Court told us to continue our work as before, but we have not received cooperation from the government,” Karki said. “We tried to resume work after the interim order, but were told to wait for the final verdict. Now the verdict has come, but we’re told to wait for the full text. So we are still waiting.”
Government’s Reluctance and Political Context
The government formed on the strength of the Gen-Z movement had dissolved the commission, arguing that political appointments were made on the basis of party quotas. During hearings, petitioners argued that a caretaker government, mandated to hold elections, had no authority to take long-term decisions such as dissolving a three-year-term commission. Although the court ruled in the commission’s favor, the government seems unwilling to allow it to function.
In the past as well, the government had shown reluctance to assist the commission, including in land-related ordinances where essential provisions benefiting the commission—such as transferring lands from forest or market areas into government ownership—were omitted. Instead, the ordinance favored real-estate interests.
Work Stalled for a Month
After the interim order, the central commission meeting on Kartik 21 instructed district-level commissions to resume work. Commissioners became active again, but due to a lack of cooperation from civil servants, land-related tasks have been on hold for a month.
Karki said political appointees are active but administrative staff have not resumed duties.
“We go to the office regularly, we sign attendance every day, but without staff support, we cannot carry out any work.”
The commission has 73 civil-service employees at the central level and 1,128 contract staff nationwide—most of them technical personnel involved in land survey work. Their six-month contracts, renewed from Shrawan, expire at the end of Poush. Without being mobilized, their salaries—amounting to nearly 60 million rupees per month—are becoming a financial burden on the state.
No Direct Dialogue With Government Yet
Despite reinstatement, the commission leadership has not held direct talks with ministers or government officials. Communication is happening only indirectly through the Commission Secretary, who is also a government joint secretary.
Karki said:
“We have not yet spoken directly with the minister or anyone. Our communication is through the Secretary. They want to wait for the full text of the verdict, so we have remained quiet. But we plan to meet the minister soon to discuss legal and operational issues.”
How Much Work Has Been Done and What Remains?
According to the commission’s NAALCIS information system:
- 1,152,870 land-related applications are registered.
- Agreements with 750 local levels (except Lalitpur Metropolitan, Panchkhal Municipality, and Kalaiya Sub-Metropolitan) have been signed.
- Before dissolution, 8,848 people had already received land ownership certificates.
- About 150,000 additional applications were received at district commissions before dissolution but have not yet been entered into the system.
- Up to Bhadra-end, mapping had been completed for 313,946 plots, covering 51,794.49 hectares.
- Mapping is still pending for about 1 million applicants, and land certificates for all except the 8,848 already served are yet to be issued.
Despite reinstatement, the commission remains practically paralyzed due to administrative non-cooperation, leaving millions of landless applicants in uncertainty.
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