The government has given a go-ahead for plotting of arable land, lifting its earlier ban on the fragmentation and selling of land. Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal, during a press conference organised at the Ministry on Friday, said the ban on land plotting has been removed.

Earlier on August 10, the government has issued a directive prohibiting the plotting of arable land without permission from the concerned authority.

The directive was issued as per the Land Act, 2021 BS to control the increasing plotting of arable land, and to realise the constitutionally guaranteed food security, and food sovereignty by increasing productivity.

The government had also said that any person, firm or company—who has taken permission from the concerned body for the plotting, and has sold half of the land maintaining demarcation with the public and government land before the issuance of this directive—is permitted to sale the remaining land.

Later, the government had decided to allow plotting on a piece of land for one time in a year. The Supreme Court on August 17, 2017 had issued an interim order to not implement the decision.

The Supreme Court on February 14, 2018, however, upheld the decision of the Ministry by quashing the interim order.

The government had decided to prohibit the plotting and selling of land after the real estate businessmen across the country were found turning the fertile land into concrete jungles.