Uttarakhand relaxes land use clause, way for BJP HQ cleared

Asked whether the change was meant for the BJP office, Subodh Uniyal, the Minister for Agriculture and spokesperson for the newly sworn Pushkar Singh Dhami government, said, “Now, all national parties have been included in that category (providing for exemptions). If any national political party wishes to do construction in the future, that will be also permitted.”

The BJP is building a new Uttarakhand headquarters on a 12,320 sq m plot in Ladpur area on Ring Road in Dehradun. As per the plan, the building will have 55 rooms and four halls, along with a digital library, and a space that can seat at least 500 people.

While BJP national president J P Nadda had virtually attended the bhumi pujan for the headquarters and laid the foundation on October 17, 2020, construction is yet to start due to the land use issue.

As per the plan, the building will have 55 rooms and four halls, along with a digital library, and a space that can seat at least 500 people. (Express photo)

The vice-chairperson of Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) had submitted a report on January 22, 2021, saying part of the land earmarked for the BJP headquarters fell in ‘residential use’ category, and recommended a relaxation in rules to allow the construction. The report was discussed at the Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

It subsequently moved a proposal to permit development authorities to take a call on allowing offices of political parties on ‘residential’ land. The “objective” of the proposal said that if national-level political parties wish to establish party offices on ‘residential’ land, a provision has to be made in the zonal plan of Dehradun Master Plan-2025 so that a board of authority can permit that on the ground of equivalence.

A BJP functionary told The Indian Express, “After this Cabinet decision, the party will get approval on the building map and construction will be started after that.”

The BJP’s current state headquarters is smaller in size and located on the more congested Balbir Road, often leading to inconvenience for local residents when party leaders and workers visit for meetings or events.