DEHRADUN: A controversy has erupted in Uttarakhand after a Jammu and Kashmir resident bought 10 bighas of land — about 9,000 square yards — in the sensitive Kalsi area of Dehradun, putting the state government under sharp scrutiny over its tight restrictions on land ownership by non-residents.
The deal, reportedly carried out on March 16, 2022, when the Assembly election Model Code of Conduct was in force, has stoked fresh anger among the opposition. It comes even as Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami often voices concerns over what he calls “demographic change” in the state.
Revenue Department sources confirm that under the Uttarakhand Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, people from outside Uttarakhand are normally allowed to buy only 250 square metres of land. The Kalsi region, a tribal and strategically sensitive belt, is considered even more protected.
This plot of land is valued at over Rs 32 lakh per bigha under the current government rates. The buyer — Ghulam Haider, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir and a former police official — acquiring such a large plot in a restricted zone has raised serious questions about whether norms were bypassed.
The issue surfaced after Sanjay Khan, a local resident, filed a complaint with the Dehradun administration. Khan alleged that Haider, who had purchased the land from Safdar Ali, was attempting to claim ownership of the property. He later submitted what he described as evidence: a video allegedly sent from Pakistan, in which a man named Abdullah claimed the land belonged to his grandfather and was donated to the Waqf Board. Khan has dismissed the claim outright, calling it a conspiracy “orchestrated by Haider”.
With the case now before the Nainital High Court, questions are mounting. Opposition groups and local organisations have demanded immediate answers. Bobby Panwar, President of the Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha, said, “This is an extremely serious matter. It is impossible without collusion from government machinery. An investigation must clarify why a person from JK is acquiring such a large tract of land here and what his true intentions are.” The Congress has also taken aim at the government, accusing it of failing to enforce its own rules.
The CM’s Office has confirmed that a probe has been ordered. “We have directed the District Magistrate of Dehradun to immediately investigate this matter and take necessary action,” a CMO source said. Officials say all angles are being examined to determine how the alleged illegal procurement happened and whether land safeguards were ignored.