DEHRADUN: Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant has sought Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s help in purchasing land to build his first home in the state, saying procedural difficulties and a lack of clarity have stalled his efforts for nearly three years.
The wicketkeeper-batter, one of Uttarakhand’s prominent sporting icons, made the appeal in posts on X late Friday. Pant said he wanted to shift his base from Delhi to his home state and contribute to its development while living among its people.
“I have been trying for the past three years to find suitable land in Uttarakhand, but I have not been able to understand the process clearly,” Pant said, tagging the chief minister.
He said finding a sufficiently large and suitable residential plot had also proved difficult.
Responding to Pant, Dhami described him as “the pride of Uttarakhand” and assured him of all possible assistance in accordance with the law.
“Through your outstanding performances and achievements, you have brought glory to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand across India and the world,” the chief minister said.
Dhami welcomed Pant’s desire to return to the state and contribute to its development. He said the officials concerned would be instructed to guide Pant and facilitate the process under the applicable rules.
Pant said he had consistently worked to promote Uttarakhand in India and abroad and now wanted to return to his roots and contribute more to the state.
In another post, Pant said receiving land from the state government in recognition of his role as Uttarakhand’s international representative would be an honour, but stressed that he was willing to purchase it at the government-prescribed rate.
“If the government gifts me land for representing Uttarakhand internationally, it will be a matter of honour for me. But I am also ready to buy the land at the prescribed government rate,” he said.
“At least I will be able to build my first home in my own state, Uttarakhand,” Pant added, explaining that uncertainty over the process had prompted him to approach the chief minister publicly.
Pant is also Uttarakhand’s highest individual income-tax payer for the 2025-26 financial year, according to departmental sources. He paid ₹23.84 crore in income tax during the period and was honoured at an Income Tax Day function in Dehradun last month.