To stem the influx of outsiders, Uttarakhand makes land purchases harder | Dehradun News

Uttarakhand Cm Dhami (File Photo)

DEHRADUN: In a bid to check large-scale land purchases in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand by people from other areas of India, the state government is all set to introduce “stringent land purchase act” in the next budget session of the Assembly. This was revealed by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday.
The state authorities plan to identify non-residents who violated applicable standards, which allow the purchase of only 250 m2 of land in non-municipal areas for their own use. He intends to reclaim land illegally acquired by people circumventing these laws, the CM said.

It is alleged that in several cases buyers flouted the regulations by purchasing land on behalf of relatives or failing to honor commitments made when purchasing the land for commercial use, and instead “enlarged their personal land bank”.
Pursuant to applicable regulations, non-residents may purchase up to 250 m2 of land outside municipal boundaries for their own use. For commercial purposes such as tourism, industry, health and education, The BJP government revised the law in 2017, increasing the allowable land limit from 12.5 acres to 30 acres.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami said, “We are initiating an investigation to identify those who bought land in the name of family members and also those who, after purchasing large plots, failed to fulfill the promise of setting up a commercial venture. In both cases, all land obtained through dubious means will be taken away.” Dhami said the government is working on a new law regarding land acquisition.
“This legislation will examine various issues and stop unwanted transactions taking place in pockets outside urban areas,” he said. “Improvements were made in 2017, but we did not achieve positive results. Previously, permission for land acquisition was given by the government, but the amendment allowed district judges to approve land acquisition. As a result, people committed to setting up businesses in the tourism, processing, health and education sectors to buy large tracts of land, but did not start working after purchasing it. Our teams will collect these details,” Dhami said.
The CM said that the state committee is currently examining land ownership details across the state, adding that legal investors have nothing to fear. “We will only take action against those who purchase land for personal gain. Real investors will have no problem. We are committed to supporting progress while curbing illegal practices,” he said. Restrictions on land purchases by non-residents were introduced between 2002 and 2007, when the Congress government imposed a 500 sq m limit on land purchases for residential development in areas outside municipal limits.
The BJP government reduced the limit to 250 sq m between 2007 and 2012. The purchase of agricultural land by people from other countries was also prohibited. In 2017, under CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, the BJP government removed these restrictions to attract investment in the hills, allowing land acquisition of up to 30 acres for commercial activities such as tourism and agriculture.