Pauri DM Swati Bhadoria halts “illegal” township project at Safdarkhal, orders probe into 145-nali land deal amid Bhu Kanoon violations
Pauri: Despite the Uttarakhand government introducing the stricter Land Act to curb outsiders from buying large tracts of land, allegations of loopholes being exploited by real estate companies and local land sharks have surfaced again in Pauri Garhwal.
Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports and complaints by locals, Pauri District Magistrate IAS Swati Bhadoria has ordered an immediate stop to all construction activity at Eraadi village in Kot block, Safdarkhal area, where a Delhi-based real estate company along with a local resident of Pauri is alleged to have purchased 145 nalis of agricultural land in violation of the state land laws.
According to officials, registry of 122 nalis has already been executed. The company had also started constructing an approach road and had drawn plans for a large township comprising residential flats and commercial establishments. The project came under scanner after local residents and social and environmental activists raised objections, alleging that agricultural land was being misused for commercial purposes in clear violation of the Uttarakhand Land Act.
The activists claimed that this is a classic case of how land sharks, in collusion with locals, manipulate the law to buy huge chunks of agricultural land and then convert it for highly profitable real estate projects. They alleged that such deals not only disturb the demography of the hills but also deprive local Uttarakhandis of land that rightfully belongs to them.
The Bhumi Kanoon, introduced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami about a year ago, was meant to restrict outsiders from purchasing large tracts of agricultural and horticultural land in the state. However, critics say that even after its implementation, loopholes are being used to bypass the provisions through benami transactions and by routing purchases through local residents.
Taking the matter seriously, DM Swati Bhadoria has halted all ongoing work at the site and constituted a high-level committee comprising the SDM, ADM and other senior officers to conduct a detailed inquiry. The committee has been asked to examine whether the sale and purchase of the 145 nalis of land at Etaadi village was legal, whether the provisions of the Uttarakhand Land Act were violated, and whether commercial construction was carried out without due permission.
The DM has directed that the probe be completed expeditiously and with complete transparency. If violations are found, the administration has said it will cancel the deal and take strict action against all those involved, including the Delhi real estate agency owner and the local collaborators.
Local activists have welcomed the DM’s intervention and demanded that similar scrutiny be carried out in other districts as well, where they allege that large tracts have already been sold to outsiders before the new law came into force.
The administration maintains that the purpose of the Land Act is to protect the interests of hill residents and prevent uncontrolled commercialization of agricultural land. The outcome of the Pauri probe is now being watched closely as a test case for how effectively the Bhu Kanoon will be enforced on the ground.
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