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On February 21, the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passed the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition And Land Reforms Act, 1950) Amendment Bill, 2025, which will ban non-residents from buying agricultural and horticultural land in 11 of the state’s 13 districts.
The amendment covers land purchases outside municipal limits, and excludes Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Another major change is that land bought for tourism, industry, and educational facilities will have a ceiling of 12.5 acres in the 11 districts. In the remaining two districts, permission can be sought to purchase more land.
An earlier provision, which allowed the purchase of up to 250 square metres of land for residential use without seeking permission, continues to exist. Here is what changes, and why some Opposition parties have criticised the amendment.
Uttarakhand is governed by the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition And Land Reforms Act, 1950, with several amendments made since Uttarakhand was carved out of UP in 2000. In 2003, then Uttarakhand Chief Minister N D Tiwari introduced the first-ever limit on non-residents purchasing land in the state’s hilly areas under the Congress government. This was ostensibly to protect the residents’ interests.
Two amendments to the land laws capped residential land purchases at 500 square metres. Later, under the BJP-led government of CM Major General BC Khanduri, this limit was reduced to 250 square metres.
However, in 2017, CM Trivendra Rawat (from the BJP) lifted the existing 12.5 acre ceiling on land purchases for tourism, industry, education, etc., that was mandated in the principal Act. Rawat said this would stimulate investments and help foster economic progress. This led to protests, with current Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami setting up a committee to examine land laws in 2021. It submitted a report in 2022.
What does the amendment say?
The amendment removes a provision that allowed transferring more than 12.5 acres of land to anyone for tourism, industry, and agriculture, among other purposes.
Further, it states that before purchasing residential land, the buyer shall furnish an affidavit to a sub-registrar, stating that he or his family has not purchased more than 250 square meters of land elsewhere in the state for residential purposes.
This Bill also reverses a Trivendra Rawat amendment that authorised District Magistrates to grant permission for land purchases for industries and reinstates the 12.5 acre ceiling of the principal Act. Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar have provisions for transferring land beyond this limit, including for horticultural uses. The concerned government department must issue a land essential certificate after assessing the proposal, with details of the investment amount, employment generation and plant and machinery.
And what about agricultural land?
Previously, anyone could purchase land across Uttarakhand for agricultural or horticultural purposes after obtaining a prior sanction of the District Collector. An affidavit had to be furnished, saying the land would be used for those purposes.
After this amendment, land for agricultural or horticultural purposes would be available for purchase in only Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, and the state government’s sanction will be required instead. An affidavit will have to be furnished, saying that the land will only be used for those purposes.
Another important mandate is that any “outsider” who has purchased land for commercial, industrial, cultural, medical purposes etc., shall use the said land for that purpose within three years of the purchase. If it is not utilised in that manner, then the land transfer will be void under the law and the state government will get its ownership. However, the Dhami government has added a provision to allow the leasing of any land, including agricultural and horticultural, for up to 30 years.
Criticising the government, Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara earlier said, “The Trivendra Rawat government amended the Uttarakhand Zamindari Abolition Act in 2018 and gave free rein to land plunder, which was misused extensively.”
He added, “The anger among the people is that due to the absence of strong land laws, people from outside the state are buying the state’s land on a large scale, and outsiders are dominating the state’s resources, whereas the original inhabitants and landowners are becoming landless.”
CPIML state secretary and Central Committee member Indresh Maikhuri also said, “The Bill allows land to be leased for up to 30 years across the entire state for various purposes, including agriculture, horticulture, and alternative energy projects. This means that land across the state will be targeted by land sharks.”
