CM Dhami seeks data on govt land grabbed by people from state, outsiders

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday directed officials to prepare a report on how much government land has been encroached upon by people from the state and outside.

Dhami also sought proposals on public projects that can be developed on "enemy properties" in different districts.

District magistrates should identify "enemy properties" in their area, personally inspect those and submit proposals on what public projects can be developed on them, he said while reviewing the ongoing drive to remove encroachments from government land.

Government lands in Uttarakhand will be assigned a unique number, the chief minister said and added that all departments will maintain a register of their properties and digitalise their inventories.

Dhami further said that satellite pictures of the properties will be taken from time to time to check their status.

Encroachments have been removed from 455 hectares of forest land since the exercise began last month on the chief minister's orders, the officials informed Dhami.

At a meeting in Kaladhungi last month, Dhami had said more than 1,000 acres of government land had been encroached upon under different pretexts, including the construction of 'mazars (tombs)'.

He had said all encroachments would be removed and asserted that "land jihad" would not be allowed to prosper at any cost.

On Monday, Dhami directed the officials to expedite the process of removing encroachments from government land.

He said accountability of officials not stopping encroachments on government land should be fixed and action taken against them.

Dhami also ordered cross-verification of land freed from encroachments.

The Home department has been asked to regularly run verification drives for outsiders, people living on rent and also those from outside the state working at religious places.