The high-level taskforce formed to settle the contentious issues to be incorporated in the new constitution has failed to sort out the differences on fixing a ceiling on land ownership. A meeting of the taskforce at the office of the parliament's State Affairs Committee in Singha Durbar Wednesday morning ended inconclusively after the major parties - Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and UML- remained adamant on their stances.
The meeting could not take any decision as the parties remained firm on their stances, said Narayanman Bijukchhe, chairman of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), who was present at the meeting. Bijukchhe informed, the taskforce will meet again on December 1 to discuss the same agenda. At today's meeting, the taskforce discussed whether or not to fix a ceiling on land ownership and whether or not to provide compensation when the state acquires land if a ceiling is fixed.
Unified CPN (Maoist) advocated for fixing a ceiling on land ownership and acquiring the land above the ceiling without any compensation. However, Nepali Congress (NC) and UML are against fixing the ceiling in the first place. At Wednesday's meeting, NC and UML agreed to fix a ceiling on land ownership only if UCPN (Maoist) agreed that the state should provide appropriate compensation to the owner while acquiring land above the ceiling. The Madhes-based parties also supported the NC-UML idea. Whether or not to provide compensation when acquiring land above the ceiling is the major dispute in the report submitted by the Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. On Tuesday, the taskforce had agreed on ensuring the right to property and implementing a progressive land reform programme. Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also the coordinator of the taskforce, was not present at today's meeting, which could be one reason the meeting could not take any decisions. The next meeting of the taskforce is called on December 1 as Maoist leaders will be busy in their extended Central Committee meeting from November 21.
Source: nepalnews.com
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