Uttarakhand bans purchase of land for outsiders
PrashantNews
Buckling under pressure from different quarters, the Uttarakhand government has decided that the outsiders cannot purchase agriculture and horticulture lands in the hill state till a committee set up on the issue gives its final recommendations.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday night at his residence in Dehradun. The decision came days after thousands of people gathered in Dehradun to hold a massive rally seeking restoration of tough land laws and making 1950 as the cutoff date for the domicile certificates. The next rally is proposed in Haldwani in Kumaon region.
Immediately after the rally, the Chief Minister had set up a high-powered committee to look into the issue and submit recommendations to the government.
Mohit Dimiri, the convener of the rally, said the people of Uttarakhand would continue to fight for their rights till all their demands including 1950 as the cutoff date for domicile and strong land laws are met.
Dimiri said the government must restrict the purchase of land to 250 sq meter only in the state. Former Chief Minister B C Khanduri had toughened the land laws putting a ceiling of 250 sq meter. In 2003, the Congress government framed a law where the government’s permission was necessary for purchase of more than 500 square meters of land. Later Khanduri restricted the provision to 250 sq meter only in 2007.