The National Committee tasked with implementation of the “Forest Protection Land Grant for Sustainable Development” programme began a lucky draw today, June 30 to allocate land to the first 500 impoverished families who will be provided with land in Stung Treng province’s Sesan district.
The first round of the lottery will run for five days, from June 30 to July 4, organized at the National Television of Cambodia station. The selection was based on eligibility criteria, including being Cambodian by birth, genuinely landless and willing to relocate to the programme’s designated site, according to a committee press release.
The programme was enacted by a November 6, 2024 Royal Decree, with Prime Minister Hun Manet as its chairman. It will provide land to poor citizens while encouraging them to protect forests and the surrounding environment.
Eligible individuals self-declared and applied from February 1 to March 22, across 1,182 communes out of the 1,652 commune nationwide, with a total of 12,329 families submitting applications, according to the announcement.
The first 500 families selected will receive land and relocate to the designated area called Ou Saev, in Sdao and Samkhuoy communes in Sesan district. Infrastructure, land plot allocation and development plans have been prepared to improve the living standards of those relocating. The remaining 2,000 families with the other 2,000 will go through the same procedure in the future.
“The lottery selection is conducted province by province with transparency, integrity, fairness and reliability. All applicant family names are placed in a transparent lottery box. Before the draw, the lottery drum is rotated to thoroughly mix the tickets. The draw is conducted by selecting one ticket at a time, publicly announcing the applicant’s name, province, city, district, commune, ward and application receipt number,” said the committee.
After the draw, committee representatives will interview each applicant family to ensure they meet the required criteria.
The 9,829 families who applied but were not selected in the first round can take part in subsequent draws.
