Almora rally seeks repealing of land laws in Uttarakhand
Almora rally seeks repealing of land laws in Uttarakhand
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, May 13
Seeking removal of prevalent land laws in Uttarakhand that gives industrialists the right to purchase unlimited land in the state for industrial purposes, enacted by former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat government of the State in the year 2018, several social and cultural organisations, today took out a mass rally in Almora, led by Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP) , a regional political outfit.
“Uttarakhand is only Himalayan state that provides industrialists to purchase unlimited land in the name of setting up of industries, otherwise all other Himalayan states have protected their land only to be used by local people,” said P.C. Tiwari, president of UPP, while addressing the rally at Nanda Devi ground today.
“We demand immediate cancellation of land laws enacted by Trivendra Singh government in 2018 and seek protection of provisions of article 371 of Indian constitution to save our lands ,”said Tiwari.
The rally has been named as,”Bhumafia Bhagao,Uttarakhand Bachao, rally” (Save Uttarakhand from land mafia) by the organisers.
The orgnisations which took part in the rally besides UPP, were, Salam Samiti, led by Rajendra Singh Rawat, Bhumi Bachao Samiti by Vinod Bisht, Uttarakhand Mahila Manch led by former Kumaon Univerisity professor Uma Bhatt, Uttarakhand Chaatra Sangathan led by Bhawna Pandey, Van Panchayat Sarpanch Sangthan led by Iswar Joshi, folk artists association led by Gopal Singh Chanyal, and Nainital Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, led by Rajendra singh Rana.
“The respective governments of Uttarakhand have forced migration from the villages in last 22 years of it’s existence by not only changing land laws in favour of land mafias from outside but by also snatching local people the right of even picking dried wood from forests by amending forest laws,” said Rajendra Singh Rawat, president of Salam Samiti.
According to Rawat the events of grabbing mass land by outsiders at Danda Kanda, Naini Chitai, Jhaldungra, and Phalsema are evident of taking wrong advantage of the land laws enacted by Trivendra Singh Rawat government in the year 2018.” The land laws enacted by Congress Government in 2003, has been diluted deliberately to facilitate land mafias by respective BJP goverment in the state,” alleged Uma Bhatt, leader of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch.
