Congress’ sudden interest in land law due to its unease & for political gains, says BJP
Sunday, 27 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has so far fulfilled every promise he had made and the Bharatiya Janata Party government will also provide a solution to the demand for a strict land law in the State. Speaking in response to allegations levelled by the Congress, the BJP State president and Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Bhatt said that the Congress is feeling uneasy, due to which it has suddenly become active on the subject of land law motivated by political gains.
Bhatt said that in accordance with the expectations of the public, the BJP government had earlier made an amendment in the land law made during the term of the Congress government during 2007. “Once again, major changes are being made in the land law which is being strengthened to maintain the authentic form of the State and in accordance with public sentiments for cultural preservation. CM Dhami has already announced that the law will be brought during the budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. It is important to probe illegal land deals and irregularities before the new law is introduced and the district magistrates have been directed to do the needful,” he said.
The BJP State president further said that at present any person can buy upto 250 square metre land without permission in areas outside the purview of urban local bodies. However, deals are being probed wherein it has come to light that deals were carried out in the names of various members of the same family. In the case of land bought after securing permission for tourism, industry and other commercial activities, those cases are being investigated wherein the land has not been used for the stated purpose. The property of those who have violated the provisions will be vested in the government. Further, if the amendments made in the past are proved to not be in public interest, such provisions will not find a place in the new land law, Bhatt said.
“In the case of the George Everest (Park) estate, the Congress is intentionally pretending to ignore the facts. In 2015, the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat had first handed over this estate for two years and later issued another order, handing it to Rajas aviation for 25 years. Our government is bringing in better investment for facilitating and encouraging tourism activities but the Congress has a problem with this while objecting to the very actions it had taken during its term in office. The State has attracted investments amounting to Rs 48,000 crore since the Everest estate was given on lease in 2022-23. Further, a considerable amount of investment is expected to be made in the State. Rajas aviation is Uttarakhand’s startup but the Congress government used it mainly for publicity while the BJP government helped the State’s startup to move forward in the tourism sector. Uttarakhand and Uttarakhandis are the priorities of our government,” the BJP State president said.
He further opined that the unease being experienced by the Congress is not in public interest but a result of political opportunism. Earlier too, the Congress appeared neither active nor against, on the subject of land laws. Now with the Kedarnath Assembly bypolls in mind and after the BJP talked of bringing a strict land law, the Congress has suddenly become concerned for the public, Bhatt added.
