Uttarakhand restricts sale of land for agriculture as locals protest tourism infrastructure boom
An uptick in the sale of land to non-residents has sparked widespread concern about employment, food security and increased stress on natural resources.
For months, residents in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand have been fighting for the introduction of land laws that would prevent agricultural land from being sold to people from outside the state.
These protests come at a time of transition in Uttarakhand.
As infrastructure and business development for tourism increase, the region has seen an uptick in land sales to nonresidents – which has sparked widespread concern among locals about employment, food security and increased stress on natural resources.
On December 31, 2023, the current chief minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, issued a directive to district magistrates throughout the state to withhold permission to sell land to people from outside the state for agriculture and horticulture.
The decision followed protests by residents and activists demanding stricter laws to safeguard agricultural land ownership among Uttarakhand residents. In mid-2023, some 200 organisations inside and outside of Uttarakhand came together under the banner of Mool-Niwas Bhoo-Kanoon Samvanya Sangharsh Samiti (Association of Native Land Law Coordination Struggles) with the primary goal of enshrining Uttarakhand’s land laws.
The group notes that agricultural land in the state is limited, as most land is covered in forest and other areas unfit for cultivation. Only 14% of Uttarakhand is considered cultivable land, yet 65% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood.
Large-scale sales...
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