Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to establish a robust mechanism to prevent encroachment on government land and halt illegal sales. This directive came during a high-level meeting held at his residence on Friday, where the Chief Minister reviewed the ongoing anti-encroachment drive aimed at freeing government land across Uttarakhand.
Emphasizing the need for a long-term solution, Dhami instructed officials to form interdepartmental teams at the district level, comprising members from the Irrigation, Public Works, Forest, and Revenue Departments. These teams will be tasked with running sustained campaigns to identify and remove encroachments, ensuring compliance with previously issued directives to free government land from unauthorized occupation. A particular focus was laid on sensitive regions like Haridwar, Rudrapur, and Nainital. CM Dhami directed strict action against encroachments on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, Kalyani river in Rudrapur, and the Kosi river in Nainital district.
The Chief Minister stressed the need for an effective action plan to prevent encroachment on government land and to stop its illegal sale. He also emphasized the urgent need to halt the creation of fake land documents and instructed officials to implement legal action against such fraudulent practices. Dhami also directed strict action against those who occupy government land and to ensure effective measures to stop the cases of making fake documents of land by forging.
To streamline the efforts further, the Chief Minister directed Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu to appoint a nodal officer at the state level to oversee encroachment-related cases in the plains. ADGP AP Anshuman was asked to make the verification of outsiders more rigorous. He informed that an 18-point report is being prepared, and a centralized database is under compilation to support future enforcement actions.
In a meeting with officials, Dhami instructed them to ensure that land that has been freed from encroachment should not be encroached again. He also asked to make a detailed assessment of any encroachment of enemy properties and submit its information. Directing officials to submit a detailed report on action taken in cases of religious conversion, the chief minister called for continuous checking in all districts and action in case of any suspicious activity.
The CM reiterated his government's commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against encroachment. He also issued instructions to verify the authenticity of government documents while issuing Aadhaar cards and added that strict action should be taken against those issuing fake documents. The CM also urged officials to ensure that local workers are prioritised for the construction work of government buildings, adding that the cultural identity and traditional architecture of the state should be given prominence in the construction of buildings.
