The government, through the budget for next fiscal, has announced plans to introduce an integrated law to make land acquisition and valuation easy.

For many years, land  acquisition has remained a major challenge for the government to implement infrastructure projects effectively. In the budget unveiled on Sunday, the government has stated that the law will help solve problems on acquiring land and valuation of such properties. The budget has also talked of starting technical audit of projects from next fiscal year to ensure quality.

The integrated rule has also been planned to maintain uniformity in valuation of properties to be acquired for construction of physical infrastructure projects having public interest. “Legal action will be taken against those obstructing public construction work under any pretext,” the budget statement reads.

The integrated rule has come at a time when the government for long has been finding it difficult to acquire land for projects related to road, railway and high tension transmission line installation, among others. Officials at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport said that most of all big infrastructure projects, including Mid-Hill Highway, Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track road, Postal Highway and Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway are facing problems in land acquisition.

For example, even though the government has completed track opening of the Fast Track road on the stretch of Chalnakhel (Lalitpur)-Nijgadh (Bara), it is yet to acquire land for alignment falling in Khokana, Lalitpur and fix compensation rate despite five long years. “We do have Land Acquisition Act 1977; however, it does not help us acquire land for projects easily,” said Devendra Karki, director general of the Department of Roads. He said that there has been a need of a rule which discourages demand of higher compensation amount.

Amid difficulties to acquire land to build transmission lines, the budget has announced to form a high-level inter-ministerial committee under the coordination of the National Planning Commission (NPC) to solve problems. In the next fiscal year, the government has set a target of purchasing necessary land and constructing gardens and parks in at least 10 places with sufficient open space.

The park plan floated for Kathmandu Valley, where price of land is high, will also require the government to have a strict rule for valuation and acquisition of private and public properties. A policy focusing on one open space for a population of 25,000 in each municipality will also be adopted, as per the budget.

Similarly, the government has planned to make amendments in the Environment Protection Act and Rules for speedy environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies. Amid questions being raised on the quality of construction works after the collapse of an under construction bridge over Sunkoshi River in April this year, the budget has also assured of making monitoring and supervision work effective to maintain quality and hold contractors responsible to ensure quality of constructions for up to five years after project completion.

An investigation panel of the government had concluded that faulty design was the main cause behind the bridge collapse. Next fiscal year onwards, the government also plans to carry out technical audit of projects completed and those under construction. In this regard, there are plans to establish a technical testing laboratory under the National Vigilance Centre. The budget also mentions that construction entrepreneurs, technicians and other concerned people will be made responsible for maintaining the quality of the construction work.

source: the himalayan times,15 july 2014