Uttarakhand enforces stringent law restricting sale of land after governor approves
Dehradun: Uttarakhand's revised land law, effectively banning the sale of agricultural and horticultural land to outsiders across most of the state, has officially come into effect following governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh's approval, a statement released on Thursday evening by the state government said.
The Uttarakhand state assembly and the cabinet passed the stringent amendments to the land law in February this year.
'With this law, the uncontrolled sale of agricultural and horticultural land in Uttarakhand has been completely banned, aligning with the sentiments of the people. For purposes such as residential use, education, hospitals, hotels, and industries, individuals from other states will now need to follow a strict process and meet the standards set by the law,' chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.
He said that the law is a 'preventive measure' against demographic shifts in the region. 'The implementation of this strict land law will curb attempts to alter the state's demographic composition. I thank the Governor for approving this crucial legislation, which reinforces Uttarakhand's cultural and social identity,' said Dhami, adding actions are being taken against the people violating the provisions of the Land Act.
Also Read:U'khand cabinet approves new land law; sale of agricultural land to outsiders banned
'A comprehensive campaign is being run and such lands are being vested in the state government,' he said.
The new legislation, formally titled 'Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Act, 2025', permits non-residents to purchase only 250 square metres of residential land, with strict one-purchase-per-family restrictions. Only two districts - Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar - are exempt from the new restrictions, though sales there will require state government approval rather than district-level authorisation.
All district magistrates will have to submit reports related to land purchase to the state revenue council and the state government. The land falling under the municipal limits can be used only according to the prescribed land use. If a person uses the land against the rules, then that land will be vested in the government.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
TTD takes legal action to protect Tirupati laddu's GI status
Tirupati: To protect the sanctity and intellectual property of the sacred Tirupati Laddu, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has initiated legal proceedings against several unauthorised sellers and promoters found misusing the 'Tirupati Laddu' name. These actions come in response to violations of the laddu's registered Geographical Indication (GI) status. Legal notices, issued through Sahadeva Law Chambers, were sent to multiple online platforms and vendors, including PushMyCart (Mahita LLC) and Transact Foods Limited. These entities were accused of commercially exploiting the Tirupati Laddu name and falsely associating their products with the temple. The notices underscored that the Tirupati Laddu is a GI-protected item under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Its preparation is carried out solely within the premises of the Tirumala temple, strictly under the supervision of the TTD and in adherence to a long-standing, sacred tradition. TTD argued that unauthorised use of the name not only infringes on its legal rights but also diminishes the spiritual sanctity of the offering. Following the issuance of the notices, PushMyCart acknowledged receipt and, in a gesture of goodwill, removed the infringing product listings while awaiting legal review. Several other vendors have similarly taken down their listings after TTD's firm intervention. Commenting on the development, the Executive Officer of TTD J Syamala Rao stated that the Tirupati Laddu is not merely a product but a holy prasadam carrying deep spiritual and cultural importance. He affirmed TTD's commitment to pursuing all necessary legal measures to prevent misuse and to uphold the trust of millions of devotees around the world. This legal action represents one of the first instances in India where a GI-protected temple offering has been defended through formal legal channels on international platforms. TTD continues to actively monitor for such violations and is resolute in preserving the authenticity and sanctity of its temple traditions.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Rahul Gandhi Claims "Match-Fixing" In Maharashtra Polls, BJP Responds
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a critique of the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a "match-fixing" operation to engineer a victory. The Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured 235 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP alone accounted for 132 of these, its best performance in the state's history. Mr Gandhi, in an op-ed for The Indian Express, claimed that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) employed a five-step model to subvert the democratic process in the state. "Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission, Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll, Step 3: Inflate voter turnout, Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win, Step 5: Hide the evidence," Mr Gandhi wrote in a post that accompanied a cutout of his op-ed. How to steal an election? Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. My article shows how this happened, step by step: Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll Step 3: Inflate voter… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 7, 2025 In the 2024 elections, while the BJP registered a landslide victory, in contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) formed by the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) was reduced to a mere 50 seats. For Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, who had lost control of their respective parties and symbols in the preceding months, the result was a massive blow. "I am not talking of small-scale cheating, but of industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions," Mr Gandhi wrote in his article. Mr Gandhi's first contention centres on the changes brought by the BJP-led Centre in 2023 through the Election Commissioners Appointment Act. The Act replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Union Minister on the committee responsible for selecting Election Commissioners. Mr Gandhi argues that this shifted the balance decisively in favour of the executive. "The decision to place a cabinet minister instead of the Chief Justice on the selection committee does not pass the smell test. Ask yourself, why would someone go out of their way to remove a neutral arbiter in an important institution? To ask the question is to know the answer," Mr Gandhi wrote. The Election Commission has maintained that its functioning remains autonomous and that it adheres strictly to constitutional laws. The BJP has termed Mr Gandhi's claims as "disgraceful". "Rahul Gandhi is back to his disgraceful antics of demonising the country's institutions. These issues have been repeatedly addressed by the EC in absolute detail," said the BJP's Tuhin Sinha.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Murshidabad violence: Charge sheet filed by Bengal police against 13 in father-son murder case
KOLKATA: The West Bengal Police have submitted a charge sheet against 13 people in the father-son double murder case in Murshidabad's Zafarabad violence in April, a senior officer said. The murders of Haragobindo Das (74) and his son Chandan Das (40) took place on April 11 during the Dhuliyan-Suti-Shamshergunj communal violence, amid protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in the district. The riots left at least three people dead and many injured, besides forcing hundreds to flee their homes. The unrest, which lasted from April 8 to 12, had also caused widespread damage to public and private properties, prompting the Calcutta High Court to order the deployment of Central Armed Forces to restore law and order. "We have submitted the charge sheet before the district court within 55 days of the crime and have named 13 people in it," the official said on Friday. In the aftermath of the violence, the police had arrested over 300 suspected miscreants in connection with over 60 FIRs which were lodged at various police stations in Murshidabad. According to police reports at the Betbona village where the Das family residence was targeted, the attackers broke down the main door, dragged out Chandan Das and Hargobindo Das, and struck them with an axe in the back. A man reportedly stood guard until they died. Reports also noted that in some attacks, the rioters cut off the water supply to prevent fires from being extinguished. Although the details of those named in the charge sheet or the sections slapped on them were not immediately clear, a fact-finding team set up by the high court had named local Trinamool Congress leader Mehboob Alam, former chairman of the Dhuliyan Municipality, to have directed the attack. The team, while submitting its report before the high court on May 21, had also stated "inactivity and absence" of the state police, and added that the men in uniform did not respond to calls from the locals during the violence. The committee documented that "as many as 113 houses were badly affected in the village of Betbona", many of which were set on fire.
