Orientations about the Land Grant Process

One of the key objectives of the Durable Solutions (DS) team is to provide orientations to both the beneficiaries and local authorities from earthquake-affected districts about different National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Guidelines. The two key guidelines pertaining to the Land Grant and Rural Housing Reconstruction Grants were rolled out during the project’s initial phase in 2073 B.S. and currently serve as the key reference document for the DS teams to carry out orientations across districts.

The orientation process itself has several stages. DS teams either link up with the Ward President first and then jointly organize a session with the prospective beneficiaries, or, both the Ward President and grant recipients are oriented at the same time. Even though the NRA policies for earthquake-affected populations are well-articulated and comprehensive, often times the beneficiaries and local governments are not aware of their existence, including the range of procedures required. DS teams thus work as a bridge between the NRA, the beneficiaries and other main stakeholders.

As part of the orientation, people are informed about the core eligibility criteria. Households that are listed under Category III and possess no safe land for settlement are eligible for both the land and the housing grant. Documents required for a successful processing of individual cases include a completed application form, a copy of the citizenship certificate, and recommendation letters from the local authority stating that the person applying does not have a safe land elsewhere. During this documentation process, the DS team supports the beneficiaries in coordination with local officers as well as with the physical preparation of the required documents.

The district NRA, an engineer, a land surveyor, and the DS team then jointly visit the new site, a group of beneficiaries has selected. After getting a field report from the land surveyor, the NRA approves the application and the documents are forwarded to the District Land Registration Office.

According to the NRA guidelines, it is mandatory to have a joint land ownership to empower women, except for the beneficiaries who are single, divorced or whose spouse has deceased. The beneficiaries must start constructing their houses within three months of purchasing the new land. This same plot of land cannot be re-sold or transferred in the next 10 years.

Author: Sajana Shrestha/People in Need