DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Wednesday approved a stringent land law to “maintain” the state’s original identity by preventing people from buying limitless land, officials said. People of the state had long been demanding imposition of limits on individuals buying land in the state, they said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had first expressed his intentions to bring a stringent land law in the state in September last year.
Widespread violation of land purchase rules are being investigated, he had said at a press conference here in September and promised the resolution of the longstanding demand for stricter land laws.
“Fully respecting the longstanding demand of the people of the state and their sentiments, today, the cabinet has approved a strict land law. This historic step will protect the resources of the state, cultural heritage and the rights of the citizens, as well as play an important role in maintaining the original identity of the state,” Dhami said in a post on X soon after the Cabinet’s decision.
“Our government is fully committed to protect the interests of the people and we will never let their trust get broken. This decision makes it clear that we will make every possible effort to protect our state and culture,” the chief minister said.
In 2003, the then N D Tiwari government restricted the purchase of land by outsiders in Uttarakhand to 500 square metres. In 2008, the B C Khanduri government further reduced the limit to 250 square metres.
However, in 2018, under the Trivendra Singh Rawat regime, the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act was amended, removing the upper limit on land purchases. The stated purpose was to bring investments to the hills.
The apprehension among the local residents is that the removal of the cap on land purchase is shrinking the limited agricultural land in the state.
Outgoing chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, Ajendra Ajay, who was a member of the committee constituted by the state government under the chairmanship of former chief secretary Subhash Kumar to examine the land laws, welcomed the Cabinet’s approval to stricter land laws.
The cabinet has respected public sentiments by approving the Land Law Amendment Bill. He said Dhami has been serious on the issue of land law from the beginning.
After assuming the post of chief minister, he had formed a high-level committee to examine the land law.
The committee had submitted its recommendations to the state government after conducting a detailed study on the basis of suggestions received from various institutions, intellectuals and common people.
Ajendra expressed hope that after the approval from the cabinet, the state government will soon take a historic initiative by implementing the new land law.
