Dhami held a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue and directed officials that the committee should hold a detailed public hearing to review the state's land laws, in which people and experts from different fields should be heard.
District magistrates in Uttarakhand have been asked not to approve any proposal from outsiders to purchase land in the state for agricultural or horticultural purposes until the report of the state land law committee is submitted.
An order to this effect was issued to all DMs on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday.
In public interest, it has been decided that until the submission of the Land Law Commission report or further orders, the District Magistrates will not have the final say in granting permission to proposals from persons outside Uttarakhand to acquire land for agricultural purposes. and horticulture in the state, an official release said.
Dhami held a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue and directed officials that the committee should hold a detailed public hearing to review the state's land laws, in which people and experts from different fields should be heard.
According to a 2004 amendment to Section 154 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari and Land System Act 1950, persons who do not own immovable property in the state of Uttarakhand before September 12, 2003 are allowed to purchase land for the purpose of agriculture. and horticulture of the subdistrict court.
The state government has constituted a drafting committee for preparing new land laws for the state.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had also ordered background checks of outside buyers before purchasing land in the state.
The draft should be prepared quickly by the committee based on suggestions from experts and people from different walks of life, Dhami said.
All decisions are taken by the state government in the interest of the state. The government will continuously work in accordance with the sentiments of the people of the state and their interests, which are paramount, he said.
There have been protests recently in several districts of the state, demanding stricter laws for outsiders to purchase land in the state.
During ND Tiwari's chief ministership, an amendment was made in the state's land laws, which allowed outsiders to purchase land in the hill areas of the state only up to a maximum of 500 sq. m.
The limit was further reduced to 250 sqm during BC Khanduri's tenure.
However, in 2017, former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat lifted the restriction to boost investment in the hill areas.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: January 1, 2024 | 2:42 PM IST