Forest Areas Lands Act, 1971

e. !2redt Aren~ Lands Act, 1911 Ministry Of Law .bd Justice The follou:ing law, enacted hy Eia He,iesty :ar.~ MalEndra Bj.r Bikr~ Shah Devon the 'l.dvice and appr'Jval of tho .,'iti/.mal Panchayat , is publ.Lsbed for the information of the public. Law No. 13 Of 2025 (1971-12) (Royal Titles) A Law Enacteu To ?19ka h.rranr'~IH re s Relf'lti''!.3 'l·£. r"l~ds In Fore:st Areas Preamble : Wheroa.s it if! expedient to make tix)y arrangenerrts regarding re clan.ed forest lands in Ivbrang, Sunsari and Jhapa districts 1n order to maintain pc.icc and tranquillity and inSlre tta econonac i~ltcrests of the connnon people, Novl thc.rr:fcre, His r~aj:sty King Mah::lrdra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has enactod thi.J law on the adv::cc :'r..d approval. c f tho N.1.tional Panchaya.t. 1, Short Titlo, ~:tont And Comr.oncon~~ (1) 'l'his law m~ be called the: .E~st Areas Lands Act, 1971 (2) I~ 3~ bo or~~rccd or. forost l~~ds in the districts of Moranr, Sur.san a~d Jhap-:lo (J) It Jl1a~l r8 aT};jlL~~.hle to .mct. f'ol~est lands wi.th eff!~ct from SUC~l datos 3.S Ii;:i",r he' rre sera, bed by Hia Haje sty l s Gov ermncmt t~~ notif~ catd.on in thG Ne ual, Gl1.~ottc 2 II De fini tiona In this i1ct" unless otheruise meant l-.ith rsferer.ce to the subject or context" (a) It'orost Area means areas where rcrvets have been cleared and which havo been ;racIaimad and settlod under authority obtained according to law, (b) Landowner means the person in whcse name lands have been rogiu'ULrcd, or who me til3 ri~ht to have lands registt1I'ed in his rame, according to Nepal law. Contd••• (c) Cultiv~;tor fIli:atls a person ~lh" has s('ttl:-::l down on lands situL!tad jn forest are as anJ is cUltiv!"ltir:z S'J.ch l?llds through his own Laber or the labor of his .family. (d) PrEscrited or as Fr(;scribl~d mu~:s P'!'escrib.-::d or as prescribed in the rulos lran.od under this j~ct. 3. Titlo or Landnw: "ruT::> Lr~~!... (1) All ri~hts and titks of 2!\",r lC'p..d.c''Wr,::r to lands within forgst areas wtr.ro this lioct hna come i~!.:to .f'or' co shall lapse, in case such lands have not tOCJn cul t.i.v,~t;?d by him pt·rscnall:i·, and are instead cultivated through tCl")Clnt~. (2) Irrvs!-',,-ciivc cf \"11·· ·;;'::~.l~ 3.r~~; c.:,;.cition had al'!'eady' been taken to allot Lande witl:in ~~orEst areas t') j~ny prreon until the commencement of this Act, no r.uc h :: nnds shell be obtni!l': ~ by or r;gistered in his i,1B.IIlO according to such .4ecision after the commoncenerrt of this Act, unJe ss oth::rwioo I3xplicitlJr provided for in this Aot. (3) Ulllc.0W!'7rs ~:hMI, t~t:W to len"s has Iapsed under Sub-SUction (1) shall be p~,id con:?pl~~at5.on not cxceeddng 5 t mo:'s the amunt of the land tax pc.ya.::'lc 'lih-r. on. Provided t.hat: 110 ccn•• , .~:3EJti,):t s '.~~·!.l ~'t;: ,;~J. d for any Land which has not already been rr'r,i!::t.. r'.:tj, :i.n accoi-dr-r.co with c·.1rr:'l1t Nt-pal law. '~4) 'lb,:, arcunb r:f conpcnsat.ton ·~av.:l.h:u:. to l:mdowners under Sub-3c.c J.:·1: n (3) sh!lll '0.: (;t-tainc~~ fro:n' thd pr;~scrib\,;d ':lfficr or sg ency in tho prcscr-:'~.d mann':r • • 4. Sale f.nd Di~t.rj::mtion or Lh:DS (1) LrH..::: '.rithi"l fc;rc~t arces l1herc this Act baa corr:e into force sha.U bo sold b~' the.-: prescribed !l.uthorlt~,~ to P':·.!;ls"lnts who have sctt1cc~ jr.lor.'l thcr o ~ wc':> have been cultivating touch lands for at least one ya~ P~\3t, et ·th~ rate of a maximum 0:: 4 [lighas each, with duo consid:rctl.. n to tts size c,f the f amll.y of each pt'lJ.sant. (2) LallC'.t:, l'::f" oval" afwr sale or l15.stribution under Sub-Section (1~ shall be sold or distribl.ltad by tba prt;scribed authol"it:r to t1'vJ pr~.scr~.b·d ~rsor:5 a.t tl'E prtlscribed price and in too prosC'ribl?d manr~r. 5. ,lli!gistrat ion Of L:i1'lda (1) TbJ prescribed autho:dty shall r(.gister lands, which have bean distribut:::d 'J.n~!:3!' S.:;ctir.-n 4, in tho naizc of' p..al'sons to whom these havo been soll.1 and ill the pr~dcribl;d nanncr j and fur,lard a certifi(;;d copy vi such l'ogis't0:- to tho aFpro"i.)ric:"tc R:.vonue Office or to the Land Administ:'::t"lcn Cffies in ar-eas where th'::N is no itcncnuc Offico. (2) On rGcoipt of the certified cOIJY of the register under Sub-Sedticn (1), tho appropri.::rto Rovonue Offico or the Land .4.d.rdnistr1..tion Office shall register such lands in tm nan.a of tho allott.,o?s in the capacity of land owners. 6. Condition.s To Be F"" lfilbd B.V' Allott.0!!2. Every person uho outlJ:i.ns 1~1l:c.::3 u'd....r Section 4 ehall cauply with tr.~! following conditions: (a) f.e shall pay tho stipula. tad prico of the land in a lump sum or in installments in cash a.t the prascrdbe d time and at the pr":scribed effic;:. Provided th:J.t: This provision shall not be docm J. t< mve af'f'ec t,;d t he riJh1;. or Il::;'" person to ~Y tho amount due from h::.rn in i'ull or :tr. Ci::!.1 or mere inst'1.U ° r;t~ be fore the:; stipulated ti IID -Ltnit. (b) Until he has repaid the full or-Leu of lands obtained by him under Section 4, he ahall not relinquish possession th r30f throu?h sale, gift, dona td.on, or oth:::M-lis(~, vr morti~agO it to a.rw pc r son other than the AgricuJ. tural Lcvc1cpm.nt Sank or any ether ins"!;,i t'l r.ion which supplic:3 credit to po asarrt a and ° has be en cst~b:'i;;hcj E'.ccor.Ji;.g tJ law, or to the proscribed a~tnistration. (0) 'lbc land tax payable on such Land acc crdf.ng to current Ncpil law shall 1:0 paid from tho yaar in Wilich it is r(Jt.::.lskr(~d. 7. Powor To f.:..dopt Tho Procodure s And !:.-.crG1.zo Th3 i"")v:p.rs Of ,0; Spe cia.l C.·jl~!'t i In rcl.:l.tidn tu caees arisir.g in the C011r sc of actions taker. under this Act, th:,) prvscrdbed authQrity cl1~~1 ~1:Opt the procedure and oJO:::,ci"o tho poWtra £l..J pr-ov ided for :In t"'o lq~0 Nloi.:l.·l Sr.x;cial Court Act. 8. ~na1tias (1) In case any :)r>rson obtains lc:"\ds on the basis of f3ls~ par-tf.cul.c-s , or contr-avenc s any of the nrovt sdons cf Scctir.-n 6, th0 pr-aacrfce d !1.'U.thr;rjot~r lTUl"V confisca.te the lands obtained b:r him ..md forf,'i"t, the amount paitj by rT', while oht~.ining such lands. Contd••• 11. (2) In C~I.t:O <U1Y per-sc-i cro.... tz s :1:.1y obstruction in the course at QC~ being taken under- this Act, tho prescribe d authority may punish him wiUl QI a fino not cxcoe ddng Rs 1,000.00, or with imprisonm,'n't for a tarm no'\; exceeding 1 ~ar or with both. 9. Complaints Or AWeals Not '1'0 Eo Entort:lincd Nt) suit, complaint or ap~C'e.l filcd ng"!1nst a.ny action or decision taken by tho prescribed ~ut.horitY' under this Act or the rule s fran~d horoundor sh..1.ll bo entart.::linod. Providod that: His Mnj csty' sGovornm(m.t Trey have any such decision of tho proscribLd autherity reviowed, if any co.npl"lint is filed there against. 10. Power 'lb Frame Rule:s His Majesty's Goverurnunt may f'ramo ruka for the purpose at 1mplemunt1lW the objactives of this Act. 11.Saving In :TIlltt:!rs provided for in this Act and the rul ee fram,.'d hcrcundcr, action shllll be taken accordingly and in nthor matt.ors action shall be taken in accordance with corrcnt NL;pfll l~u. Royal Soal :U'fi:wd on Ashwin 6, 2028 (september 22, 1971) ~r Ord:Jr, Chudamarii, Faj Singh Halla Secretary to HID.