The government is formulating the first ever land policy that envisages different measures for scientific utilization of land, including dividing land into six categories and fixing land taxes on the basis of its use.

The draft of National Land-use Policy, which is being finalized, has categorized available land into six categories -- agriculture, forest, pasture, settlement, urban development and industrial -- on the basis of usage.

# Land divided into six categories
# Land tax on the basis of use
# Discourage urbanization in fertile land
# Scientific land use for food security
# Bars use of fertile land for non-agriculture purpose
# Development of cluster settlement in hills and mountains
# Development of community forestry in fallow land

“This policy would end the existing categorization of land on the basis of productivity and evaluate the land on the basis of its usage,” Kalanidhi Poudel, under secretary at the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management, told myrepublica.com on Sunday.

The policy also envisages progressive tax system so as to end the existing practice of levying land tax without any scientific reason. Taking into consideration rapid urbanization across the country, the policy aims to discourage haphazard land plotting and housing in arable land.

“Keeping in view the growing threat on food security and rapid population growth in urban areas, the government aims to end the increasing practice of living land untended,” said Poudel, who is also the member secretary of the policy drafting committee.

As per the new policy, the government is adopting necessary measures to bar use of agriculture land for non-agriculture purposes.

“We will prepare a work plan for proper land use to discourage use of productive land for non-agriculture purposes,” Poudel said, expressing hopes that the National Land-use Directives would regulate all land related activities.

The policy envisages identifying and separating land for non-agriculture purposes such as housing and industrial estate in emerging urban areas and municipalities for proper land management.

The government aims to integrate land use by increasing productivity, ensuring environment protection, poverty alleviation and economic growth, and provide land for industry, co-operative farming, health, education and housing purposes.

To ensure scientific use of land, the government will launch different programs to produce skilled manpower and encourage tea and coffee farming and agro-forestry in steep areas.

“The government will also encourage development of cluster settlement in hilly and mountain areas where houses are scattered and built without any planning,” Poudel said. Development of community forests in the unused government plots is also envisaged in the proposed policy.

The policy has set a target of eliminating all land-related problems within next 15 years through scientific management of land for environmental balance and sustainable development.

source: Ghimire, P. (2010),"Policy for scientific land mgmt on cards ",republica, 1 August 2010