Synopsis: The lucky draw will identify 2,500 families from provincial capitals for eligibility screening to receive three hectares of residential and agricultural land in Stung Treng province.
The government has launched the first round of a lucky draw for applicants under the Forest Protection Land Grant Programme for Sustainable Development, which was established last year.
The draw will select 2,500 families from various provincial capitals to assess their eligibility for land.
Each eligible family will receive three hectares of land—comprising both residential and agricultural plots—located in the northeastern province of Stung Treng.
Organised by the Secretariat of the National Committee for the Implementation of the Forest Protection Land Grant Programme for Sustainable Development, the draw is being broadcast live on the National Television Station of Cambodia over five days, from Monday to Friday.
Applicants can follow the broadcasts and verify their names via the station or the Secretariat’s official Facebook page.
This draw follows the government’s earlier announcement to allocate land to 500 families in Sesan district, Stung Treng province as part of the first phase. Between early January and March 22, 12,329 families nationwide applied for land under the programme.
Applicants must meet several eligibility criteria: Cambodian nationality by birth, landless, be genuinely impoverished, and willing to live on and cultivate agricultural land at government-prepared sites.
Sar Sovann, Director of the Secretariat, stated during the opening ceremony that the first draw aims to identify 2,500 families, with allocation distributed proportionally—20% from each provincial capital—based on the number of applicants from each area.
Out of the 2,500 selected families, 500 will be screened for immediate eligibility to receive land in the project’s first implementation area: O’Keo and Sam Mi communes in Sesan district.
The remaining 2,000 families will undergo eligibility screening to potentially replace disqualified applicants or be considered for future project phases.
“For the 9,829 families who were not selected in this round, they will have the opportunity to be included in subsequent draws,” Sovann said.
He emphasised that the selection process is transparent, fair, and conducted publicly, with all ballots drawn and names announced in full view.
The draw schedule is as follows: Monday: Battambang, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, and Koh Kong, Tuesday: Kampong Cham, Ratanakiri, Takeo, Kampong Thom, and Oddar Meanchey, Wednesday: Tbong Khmum, Prey Veng, Siem Reap, Kampot, and Preah Sihanouk, Thursday: Kratie, Phnom Penh, Kampong Speu, Svay Rieng, and Pailin and Friday: Kandal, Pursat, Mondulkiri, Kampong Chhnang, and Kep
Initiated by Prime Minister Hun Manet, the programme aims to provide social land concessions to impoverished, landless citizens to prevent illegal encroachment on state forest land, support sustainable community development, and promote forest protection near the allocated sites.
