The Uttarakhand assembly has passed a new Land Law that prohibits non-natives from purchasing land in the state’s hill areas. The assembly passed the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act 1950) Amendment Bill 2025 with a resounding majority, rejecting the opposition’s demand to send the bill to a select committee.
The Law
People from other states will be able to purchase 250 square meters of land for residential purposes, but additional members of the same family will be denied permission to purchase land and must present affidavits.
The Law’s aim
Introduced on February 19, the amendment aims to strengthen land regulations and curb the unrestricted sale of agricultural land in the state’s hills. The law seeks to prevent the indiscriminate buying and selling of agricultural and horticultural land in Uttarakhand.
The bill was discussed on the evening of February 21, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stating that the purchase of land in 11 hill districts of the state is now entirely banned. Additionally, the acquisition of more than 12.5 acres of land for specified purposes has been halted. In Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar, land purchases will require prior administrative approval.
Dhami further explained that the requirement for district magistrates’ permission for land purchases had been removed. If an affidavit related to purchasing more than 250 square meters of land outside municipal areas is found to be false, the excess land will be seized by the state.
Support and Criticism
While opposition leaders, including Yashpal Arya and Congress MLAs, supported the bill in principle, they criticised it for being incomplete. They called for the bill to be referred to a select committee to strengthen it and create a more robust, Uttarakhand-specific land law.
