Governor defends decision of not giving nod to land bill

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Bhardwaj said he returned the bill yesterday as he apprehended that the legislation would help land grabbers.

Bhardwaj, referring to the Dr Balasubramaniam Committee report which had unearthed illegal encroachments on 11 lakh hectares of government land by land grabbers across the state, said he has suggested to the government to discuss certain issues concerning the bill.

Through the legislation, the government wanted to regularise houses constructed illegally on government lands, he said.