Dhasmana calls proposed strict land laws by Uttarakhand CM as misnomer, eyewash, blames BJP for relaxing land laws allowing huge land sales in Uttarakhand   

Dhasmana calls proposed strict land laws by Uttarakhand CM as misnomer, eyewash, blames BJP for relaxing land laws allowing huge land sales in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Sept 28

Suryakant Dhasmana, senior vice-president of Uttarakhand Congress has termed the proposed amendments in land laws by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhamai as misleading and a mere eyewash. Terming the announcement made by Uttarakhand Chief Minister on Friday to  bring  strict land law in the state as a mere hoax, he  questioned the Chief Minister about those who relaxed the already existing land laws first implemented by the Congress government of Narayan Dutt Tiwari in 2003 by amending Section 154 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Destruction and Land Management Act 1950?

Speaking at a press conference held at the State Congress Headquarters,  Suryakant Dhasmana said that N.D.Tewari, the Chief Minister of the first elected government of the state in 2003, while amending Section 154 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Vinash Evam Bhumi Prabandhan Act 1950,  had made a provision that if any person from outside Uttarakhand wants to buy land in Uttarakhand for residential purpose, he can buy only 500 square meters of land. And if someone wants to buy land in the state for investment, for setting up an industry or in the field of medical health, then with the condition that if the land is used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it  has been bought the land, then it would vestin the state government. A maximum of twelve and a half acres of land can be purchased after taking permission from the government for such purposes.

Dhasmana said that in 2007, the then Chief Minister  B.C. Khanduri further amended the land laws by reducing the limit of residential land from 500 square meters to 250, but kept all the other provisions of the law made by the Tiwari government intact.  Dhasmana further said that the land law implemented by the Tiwari government was the best for the state, which remained in force in the state till 2017.

Dhasmana charged that it was during the tenure of Trivendra Singh Rawat as Chief Minister that the land laws were tampered with land laws in 2018 by abolishing the maximum limit of twelve and a half acres. However, the most important condition, which said that the land would vest in the state government if the purpose of the land for which it was purchased was not adhered to remained  unchanged.

Dhasmana charged that a crippling blow on land laws by delivered by the present Chief minister Puhskar Singh Dhami who in 2022  done with the clause which vested the land in state government if the purchaser violated the land use or permission which give way to unbridled sale and purchase of land in the state by outsiders with any hindrance. The Congress leader said that it was amusing that the same Chief Minister has been crying himself hoarse about influx of outsiders, demographic change and talking about strict land laws to protect the interest of the people of the state.

Dhasmana alleged that the BJP governments has made the land laws made by the Tiwari government ineffective, due to which outsiders bought land on a large scale in Uttarakhand between 2018 and 2024. In order to grab agricultural land from the hands of land mafia, the Trivendra government expanded the limits of Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils in many cities including Dehradun and brought agricultural land under the urban bodies and took them out of the purview of land law.

He further demanded that Dhami government should accept the mistakes of BJP governments and apologise to the people of the state  and should go back to the land laws made by the Tiwari government. He further demanded that a  white paper should be brought giving details of the land purchased by outsiders in the state between 2018 and 2024 and whether the purchased land has been used for purposes other than industry or medical health or not. “If the land has not been used for public utility purposes, then it should vest in the state government. It is ironic that an attempt is being made to take credit on land laws without realising that the people understand the sins committed by the BJP governments,” he added.

On the issue of  communal tension prevailing in Dehradun,   Dhasmana said that people having the patronage of the ruling BJP are deliberately hell-bent on throwing the city and the state into communal fires.  He  said that the videos of the stone pelting and ruckus at Dehradun railway station  clearly shows that who are the persons responsible for the violence and arson. He said that it was mockery of rule of law and Constitution that those responsible for maintaining and upholding it have black mailed the law enforcing agencies.

Demanding strict action against mischievous elements, irrespective of their religion, caste or party, Dhasmana regretted that those hoklding general public to ransom for hours and creating chaos and communal hisharmony in the city were allowed to take out socalled “Victory processions” with police in toe.  State Congress Committee President Karan Mahara’s political advisor  Amarjit Singh and State Congress spokesperson  Giriraj Kishore Hindwan were present.