By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 25 Aug: The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government is set to step up its anti-encroachment campaign on government land. Official sources have indicated that legal cases may now be filed against encroachers under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
It may be recalled that illegal occupation of government land has long been a major and complex challenge in the state, but over the past two years, more than 9,000 acres of land has been reclaimed from encroachers. Despite this progress, thousands of hectares of government land still remain under illegal possession.
Sources claim that the government has accelerated its mission to free such land, excluding those villages that are part of the proposed revenue village process. Until now, the administration action had largely been limited to issuing notices to encroachers, but the procedure will now be strengthened with a warning of legal action under Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalises land grabbing. This provision will enable the authorities to register FIRs directly against land grabbers, giving the drive greater teeth.
The officials also claim that several gangs involved in grabbing and misappropriating government land have already been identified, and the government is considering invoking the Gangster Act against them in addition to the applicable legal provisions. Large-scale encroachments have been found on lands belonging to various government departments, including the Forest Department, Public Works, Irrigation, River Classification, Revenue, and Gram Sabha.
To facilitate swift reporting of such cases, the state government has recently launched a dedicated mobile application. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has repeatedly affirmed that the government is resolutely committed to reclaiming public land. He has underlined that Uttarakhand faces an acute shortage of land and therefore requires every inch of it back at all costs, making it clear that the campaign against encroachment will continue with full force.
At the same time, questions are being raised as to why, while action is being initiated against encroachers and the gangs behind such activities, the administration has remained largely silent on the role of revenue and municipal officials, as well as certain police officers and village level officials, in facilitating or turning a blind eye to these encroachments over the years. It may be asserted that, without the connivance or negligence of such officials, large-scale illegal occupation of government land would not have been possible.
