ROBAN: Eight longhouse chiefs from the district have agreed to the perimeter survey under the new NCR Initiative, to be conducted on their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land by the Land and Survey Department.

The longhouse chiefs have also agreed that the NCR land in Sungai Anak, Sungai Bentuk, Sungai Plunga and Nyiar areas here be gazette as Communal Reserves after the perimeter survey has been completed.

“All the NCR land that has been surveyed will be gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserves under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code, said David Laeng, a Land Officer from the Land and Survey Department, during a recent dialogue session with the villagers.

The dialogue session was meant to explain to the land owners the procedures for the perimeter survey under the New NCR Initiative besides announcing that the government had approved their application for perimeter survey of their NCR land.

“The approval indirectly indicates that the government recognises the rights of the landowners to their land.

“Owners of NCR land need not have to fear losing the right to their land after being gazetted as Communal Reserves,” David explained.

He added that the Divisional Land and Survey Department would start conducting the perimeter survey sometime this month and urged the landowners to give their full cooperation to the surveyors.

Also present at the dialogue session was Penghulu George Manggie.

(Source:  New Sarawak Tribune, 13 February 2014)