KATHMANDU, Feb. 3 -- The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA), in mid-January, instructed all land revenue and survey offices in the valley to obtain its prior approval for land plotting for commercial purposes, except in cases of inheritance division. This directive has triggered a dispute between the authority and the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA).

MoLCPA spokesperson Ganesh Bhatta stated that ministry officials believe the directive makes the authority's recommendation mandatory for any land transaction or plotting in the valley.

Bhatta stated, "The Land Use Act 2076 BS and the Land Use Regulations 2079 BS allow land plotting in the valley with a minimum area of 130 square meters...