Dehradun, Nov 4 Amid Uttarakhand Congress’s allegations that the Dhami government has transferred land to private entities at “throwaway prices”, the state administration on Wednesday said that only a few land parcels have been identified for economic activity and are being utilised to strengthen the state’s economy.
In line with its claims, the Congress on Wednesday launched a statewide campaign, ‘Bhumi Bachao, Dhami Hatao,’ under which several senior state party leaders led a protest march in various cities, demanding transparency and reconsideration of all decisions, including those concerning the land at the George Everest site in Mussoorie.
Congress general secretary in-charge Uttarakhand Kumari Selja, addressing a press conference in Delhi, said, “Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami alone is guilty of auctioning Uttarakhand’s priceless government land and its British-era heritage buildings. This is not a fabricated charge of the Congress; it is the truth recorded in the Government’s own files.”
Principal Secretary (Planning) R Meenakshi Sundaram, in a statement, said that land is a critical resource for bringing any economic activity to fruition and clarified that select government land is being utilised to strengthen the state’s economy.
“The availability of suitable land is essential for the development of industries, tourism, hospitality, commercial ventures, and other investment projects. With this perspective, a comprehensive exercise was previously conducted to explore ways to elevate the state’s economy and double its economic activity,” said Sundaram.
He added that a key outcome of this process was the proposal to utilise the state’s available government land in a planned and productive manner—fostering new economic activities, creating employment opportunities for the youth, and generating revenue for the government.
“Only a few select land parcels have been identified for this purpose; their number is, in fact, quite limited. Contrary to this, the narrative suggesting that government land is being included in this process on a massive scale is not in line with the facts. The goal is to initiate the bidding process for approximately 6–7 selected land parcels within the next two to three months,” he said.
He further highlighted that Uttarakhand holds a distinct identity, both nationally and globally, as a tourism destination and with vast scope for the expansion of religious, nature-based, adventure, and wellness tourism, among other tourism-related activities.
According to the principal secretary, the proposed hospitality investments are expected to generate direct employment for approximately 7,000 to 8,000 people, while also creating indirect employment opportunities for another 10,000 to 15,000 individuals through associated economic activities.
The state government further said that it is estimated that these activities could generate a monthly revenue of approximately Rs 300 crore for the state through GST and other channels.
“Thus, this initiative is not merely limited to land use; rather, it is part of a comprehensive economic strategy aimed at boosting employment, investment, local commerce, and the state’s revenue-generating potential,” said Sundaram.
(PTI News)
