NCRP: Those land that are reverted to the government after adjustment in Bumthang are land that private individuals have encroached upon, according to land commission and survey officials.

Landowners in Chokhor and Tang whose land were reverted to government after the recent National Cadastral Resurvey Programme (NCRP), conducted by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA), expressed disappointment with the decision claiming that the land were received as kidu in 2010.

After landowners from Chokhortoe in Bumthang raised the issue, land commission secretary, Pema Chewang, clarified that some villagers had encroached government land during the NCRP in 2010. The secretary said some villagers during 2010 NCRP have claimed more land than what the kasho, which was issued before NCRP 2010, granted them.

“Only land of those households who have encroached more than what was granted could have been reverted by the survey team,” Pema Chewang said, adding the landowners aren’t entitled to kidu twice especially if they have claimed more land through encroachments during NCRP.

The landowners complained of land, mostly khimsa (residential plot) being revoked from their new lagthram in villages such as Dhur, Thangbe, Norgang, Chokhortoe and Pengana by RBA survey team.

Landowners claim they lost between 4-17 decimal from premises of their houses used for kitchen garden and cowsheds. In Thangbe, Thinley Zangmo’s 17 decimal land measuring the size of a basketball court was revoked from her thram.

As per her land title certificate, Thinley Zangmo had only 10 decimal of khimsa. 17 decimal was added after 2010 NCRP.

The 17 decimal however were reverted from her thram, as it was a case of encroachment. A villager from Norgang, Ugyen Tshomo complained of losing 16 decimal from her khimsa. She claimed that she received it as a kidu during the cadastral survey in 2010.

Chokhortoe tshogpa, Sonam Jamtsho said around 9-10 households from his chiwog reported of their land being revoked after the recent survey.

Some villagers from Dhur and Tang where the RBA has already completed the re-cadastral survey also complained of the same.

A survey coordinator who was based in Bumthang said deficit and excess land were adjusted as per the kasho issued in 2005 by His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. “Some people have manipulated the kasho and encroached on government land,” he said. “We are only reverting land that were encroached.”

Meanwhile, secretary Pema Chewang said the findings of the RBA survey team aren’t final. He said before making any decisions the commission would study the land issues holistically towards the end of the third round of the NCRP.

“The outcome of the survey would be decided only once the report reaches the commission in entirety,” the secretary said.

Tempa Wangdi, Bumthang

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