Amended land law cleared in assembly, agri plot sale banned

The Uttarakhand state assembly on Friday, the fourth day of the budget session, passed the amended land law, with strict provisions, including a ban on the sale of agriculture and horticulture land in the state except for Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

- HT Correspondent

DEHRADUN:

Giving details of the new land law, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the new law has banned the sale of agriculture and horticulture land in the state except for Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts. "People from other states will be able to buy 250 square metres of land for residential use, but other members of the same family will not get permission to purchase land. The land buyer will have to submit an affidavit. In Haridwar and US Nagar, instead of district magistrates, the state government will give permission for the sale of land."

Dhami said if the provisions of the new land law are violated, the land will be vested with the government. Congress MLAs, led by leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, demanded that the new land bill be referred to select a committee of the House, which will review the land law and submit its report within a month. However, after the chief minister's assurance that all concerns and issues related to the new land law would be addressed, the land law was passed in the House.

The amended land law titled "Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Act, 2025 Bill" was tabled in the Uttarakhand legislative assembly on Thursday. The new law will extend to the whole of Uttarakhand except the areas included and to be included from time to time in any Municipal Corporation, Nagar Panchayat, Nagar Palika Parishad and Cantonment Board limits.

Opposition MLAs cornered the government over the "poor state of healthcare services" in the state, especially in the hilly areas, a day after a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report, tabled in the state assembly, highlighted the issue.