Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday held a high-level meeting over land law at his official residence in the state capital. Dehradun.
According to sources, the CM directed officials that a large-scale public hearing should be held by the committee tasked with drafting the new land law, and opinions and suggestions from the public and experts across diverse fields should be actively sought and incorporated.
The CM added that Garhwal and Kumaon commissioners should also be included in the decentralised system for land law.
Further, on the instructions of the chief minister, it was decided that in the interest of the state and the public, till the submission of the report of the Land Law Committee or further orders, district magistrates will not allow the proposal of permission to persons outside Uttarakhand to purchase land for agriculture and horticulture purposes. Even earlier, CM Dhami had given instructions to purchase land only after background verification of the buyer.
According to an amendment to the existing land laws in 2004, under Section 154 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari and Land System Act 1950, persons who are not holders of immovable property in Uttarakhand before September 12, 2003, are allowed to purchase land for agriculture and horticulture from the district officer concerned.
There is also a provision for granting permission by the state government.
A drafting committee has since been constituted by the state government to come up with new land laws for Uttarakhand.
During the meeting, CM Dhami directed that the draft be prepared expeditiously by the committee after taking on board suggestions from experts and people from a wide spectrum of arenas or fields.
He said all decisions by the government were being taken in the interest of the people.
He added that the government was working continuously in this direction, considering the sentiments of the public. —ANI