CM Pushkar Singh Dhami played a new master stroke in Uttarakhand, increased his stature towards another strict law
Government land has been the easiest target for illegal occupants after the formation of a separate Uttarakhand state. There have been rapid encroachments on the land of forest to urban and three-tier panchayats. Surprisingly, the government machinery has remained mute spectator. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami finally had to find a solution to this fast-growing problem.
First conversion, then anti-copying law and now…
After first fixing the responsibility of the concerned departments for encroachment on government land, the Dhami government has now declared such illegal occupation as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. First conversion, then after anti-copying law, Chief Minister Dhami has now shown his attitude with a master stroke of strict law on encroachment just three days after entering the third year of his tenure.
First conversion, then anti-copying law and now…
After first fixing the responsibility of the concerned departments for encroachment on government land, the Dhami government has now declared such illegal occupation as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. First conversion, then after anti-copying law, Chief Minister Dhami has now shown his attitude with a master stroke of strict law on encroachment just three days after entering the third year of his tenure.
Increasing illegal occupation of government, public and private land is being seen as a big threat behind the rapid disturbance of demographic balance in Uttarakhand. The encroachers first targeted the land around rivers and drains within and outside the forests, within the purview of urban bodies and panchayats. Increasingly, this menace is now engulfing the state, public and private lands within the cities, villages and forests. However, in all this the role of political parties and their leaders has been pointed at.
Chief Minister Dhami had intensified efforts to deal with this threat hovering over government land and assets after a few months of his second innings last year. The campaign to remove encroachments on forest land in the guise of religious places started on the instructions of the Chief Minister. So far 450 encroachments have been removed in the state.
The Chief Minister first clamped down on the departments
Due to wavering attitude regarding encroachment on land and assets in the state, the Chief Minister first clamped down on the departments. After the decision of the cabinet, in the month of May, detailed guidelines were issued to various departments regarding immediate prevention and removal of encroachments. Now every department has been asked to keep an eye on any kind of encroachment on departmental land-assets by nominating nodal officers.
From the District Magistrate in the districts to the Chief Secretary at the government level, the entire campaign is being monitored. Taking a step further in this direction, a digital land bank of government land and assets is also being created in the entire state. With the help of information technology and technology, as soon as encroachment occurs, arrangements are being made to inform the concerned department immediately.
Secrecy was also used in bringing ordinance
In the third phase, Chief Minister Dhami has now implemented the strict law, making illegal possession of land a serious crime in the state. This law, brought in the form of an ordinance, will apply to both old and new encroachments.
The special thing is that despite taking a tough stand on illegal encroachments, the Chief Minister also exercised secrecy to a great extent in bringing this ordinance. Dhami has completed his two-year term as Chief Minister on July 4. Dhami, who made the country’s strictest law against conversion in his first term, has continued the process of making strict laws in his second term.
