- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०१६ BS · 1959 AD
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड १२: खाद्य, कृषि, सहकारी तथा भूमि प्रशासन · Volume 12: Food, Agriculture, Cooperative and Land Administration
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Includes amendments up to: 2066 BS. Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- The Act abolished the birta system, under which land had been granted to individuals free of tax or with special rights. From the date it came into force (1959), all birta land became ordinary taxable raikar land, with ultimate ownership vested in the government, and all birta rights and the laws, orders and documents creating them were cancelled.यो ऐनले व्यक्तिलाई कर नलाग्ने वा विशेष अधिकारसहित दिइएको बिर्ता जग्गा प्रथा उन्मूलन गरेको हो। ऐन प्रारम्भ भएको मिति (२०१६) देखि सबै बिर्ता जग्गा सामान्य करयोग्य रैकरमा परिणत भई भूस्वामित्व नेपाल सरकारमा सरेको छ, र बिर्ताको अधिकार तथा त्यसलाई जनाउने ऐन, सवाल, सनद र अन्य लिखत खारेज र बदर भएका छन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 3, p. 4
- Former birta land became subject to land tax (bhumikar) from fiscal year 2016/17, at rates set in the Act according to the class of birta and the area (for example, separate rates for the Kathmandu Valley and for other hill and Tarai areas). The district revenue officer fixes the tax, registers the land and collects it, and the person in possession must register the land as raikar.पूर्वबिर्ता जग्गामा आर्थिक वर्ष २०१६/१७ देखि बिर्ताको श्रेणी र क्षेत्रअनुसार (जस्तै काठमाडौँ उपत्यका र अन्य पहाडी तथा तराई क्षेत्रका लागि छुट्टाछुट्टै दर) ऐनले तोकेको दरमा भूमिकर लाग्ने भयो। मालका हाकिमले भूमिकर निर्धारण, दर्ता र असुल गर्छ, र जग्गा भोग गर्नेले रैकरका रूपमा दर्ता गराउनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 4–7, pp. 4–9
- The Act also provided compensation for certain classes of birta holders, dealt with mortgaged birta land, and protected tenants' rights on former birta land registered as raikar in the birta owner's name. It gives revenue officers court-like powers to summon people and take evidence when carrying out the Act.ऐनले केही श्रेणीका बिर्तावालालाई क्षतिपूर्ति, बन्धकी बिर्ता जग्गा, र बिर्तावालाकै नाममा रैकर दर्ता भएको पूर्वबिर्ता जग्गामा मोहीको हक सम्बन्धी व्यवस्था पनि गरेको छ। ऐन कार्यान्वयन गर्दा मालका हाकिमलाई अदालतसरह साक्षी झिकाउने र प्रमाण बुझ्ने अधिकार दिइएको छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 8–12, pp. 9–12
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Outdated The High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission found that, because Section 3 ended the birta system and converted all birta land to raikar from the start, the Act's purpose has been fulfilled; it noted only that some related cases might still be pending in court.उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोगका अनुसार दफा ३ ले ऐन प्रारम्भ भएदेखि नै बिर्ता प्रथा अन्त्य गरी सबै बिर्ता जग्गा रैकरमा परिणत गरेकाले यो ऐनको प्रयोजन समाप्त भइसकेको छ; यस विषयका केही मुद्दा अदालतमा विचाराधीन रहन सक्ने कुरा मात्र आयोगले उल्लेख गरेको छ। High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal HLERC report, legal environment chapter, para 10, printed p. 86 (PDF p. 153); Act s. 3, p. 4
Ideas to fix it
- Repeal the Birta Abolition Act 2016 in full, after adding to the Lands Act 2021 whatever provisions are needed to deal with any related cases still pending in court.अदालतमा विचाराधीन रहेका सम्बन्धित मुद्दा सम्बोधन गर्न आवश्यक व्यवस्था भूमि सम्बन्धी ऐन, २०२१ मा थप गरी बिर्ता उन्मूलन ऐन, २०१६ पूरै खारेज गर्ने। Proposed by: High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission (2081) High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.