On the lines of Himachal Pradesh, there will be a strict law on the sale and purchase of land in Uttarakhand

A stringent law on the lines of Himachal Pradesh is likely to be implemented in Uttarakhand to control the sale and purchase of land, especially in hilly areas. The committee, constituted last year to suggest amendments to land laws in the state, is likely to submit its recommendations to the state government in the next 10 days. Committee chairman and former state chief secretary Subhash Kumar said, “We had sought a report from all the district magistrates regarding the purchase and sale of land in their areas. Some reports have arrived while others are also likely to come in a day or two. It is expected that the committee will submit its recommendations to the state government in a week or 10 days. But the purchase and sale of land in hilly areas can be controlled.

The chairman of the committee said, “The report of the district magistrates is yet to be studied and recommendations are yet to be prepared, but we are of the opinion that the sale and purchase of land should not happen in a random manner.” Investors coming to the state should not be discouraged by imposing too much control and employment generation opportunities should not be reduced. The former chief secretary said that some restrictions were imposed on buying and selling of land in the state during the tenure of Narayandutt Tiwari as the Chief Minister, but during the time of subsequent governments, they were reduced and they were completely abolished in 2018. Committee member Ajendra Ajay said that the district magistrates have been asked to give information about the purpose for which the land was purchased and how it was used. He said that there have also been instances where land was bought to build a medical college but later a hotel was built on it.

Ajay, who wrote a letter to the chief minister last year drawing attention to the demographic change in the hilly areas of the state, said, “Agriculture land has been bought on a large scale by non-farmers from outside. It must stop.