Wednesday, 07 September 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Congress leader and former MLA of Kedarnath Manoj Rawat has termed the report submitted by the high powered committee on land laws as old wine in a new bottle and a desperate attempt by the State government to divert the attention of the people of the State from the burning issues. He said that the Pushkar Singh Dhami government had made lofty claims when it constituted the committee but there is nothing new the recommendations of the committee except that it has advocated that the authority for approval of purchase of land by outsiders should be taken away from the district magistrates (DMs) and given to the State administration. He claimed that open loot of the land of the State started with the passage of the amendments in section 143 (A) and 154 (2) of Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh) Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act- 1950 on December 2018 in Vidhan Sabha.
These amendments allowed outsiders to buy as much land they wish in the name of industrialisation (industry, tourism, education and health). Rawat questioned whether the committee had sought a report from the DMs on the approvals given by them on the applications for purchase of the land and if it has; its report should be made public. He claimed that properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees were sold to outsiders in the last four years. Rawat said that the government should disclose the amount of investment that came to the State in these four years after gifting precious land to the outsiders.
The Congress leader said that section -118 of Tenancy Act is enforced in Himachal Pradesh according to which an investor can become a partner but the land remains with the domicile resident of the State. The people need to know about any such recommendation made by the committee, he said. Rawat said that since the committee has accepted that the land purchased by outsiders for the purpose of agriculture and horticulture is being misused for constructing resorts and private bungalows, the government should take back the land given to them. The former MLA demanded that as per the recommendation of the committee the State government should start the process of land settlement in Uttarakhand as it has not happened from the last 60-65 years.
