Policy changes allowed outsiders to purchase huge tracts of land in U’khand: Congress
PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand Congress has claimed that outsiders have purchased huge tracts of land in many parts of Uttarakhand by taking advantage of various amendments incorporated by the State’s BJP government in the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act- 1950). In a Press conference attended by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara, leader of opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Yashpal Arya, former PCC president Ganesh Godiyal and former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat at Rajiv Bhawan here on Saturday, the former MLA from Kedarnath Manoj Rawat said that on December 6, 2018 the BJP government headed by Trivendra Singh Rawat made changes in the sections 143 and 154 of the Uttarakhand -UP, ZA and Land Reforms Act which allowed outsiders to purchase as much land as they wish by converting the land use from agriculture to non-agricultural purposes.
This amendment also removed the upper limit of 12.5 acre of land for outsiders to purchase the land for industrial purposes. Rawat said that the Trivendra Singh Rawat government had added ‘143 A’ in the Act which had a provision according to which the State government had the power to take over the land if an industrial unit is not set up in the land within a stipulated period of time. He said that the section 143 A of the Act was removed by an amendment in the year 2022 by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government which has paved the way for outsiders to purchase large tracts of land in the State in the name of setting up industry and then using it for other purpose including plotting.
Rawat further alleged that prime lands in many areas of the State are being handed over to the selected companies. In one such case, he said that 142 acres of land (762 Bighas) of Park Estate in Hathipaon Mussoorie in Dehradun was given on an annual rent of Rs one crore to Rajas Aerosports and Adventure Private Limited for a period of 15 years. He said that the circle rate of this land is about Rs 2,757 crore. Rawat said that interestingly the Tourism department has taken a loan of Rs 23 crore from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for development of the Park Estate. “This means that the government has taken a loan of Rs 23 crore to develop a land from which it will earn a rent of Rs 15 crore in 15 years,’’ he said.
Former PCC president Ganesh Godiyal demanded that the State government should order a judicial probe on the sale and purchase of land in the State. He also demanded resignation of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the issue.
