Uttarakhand: Administration removes 95 illegal encroachments in Pauri

Pauri (Uttarakhand) [India], March 8 (ANI): District administration authorities on Saturday removed 95 encroachments at the Kalagarh area in Uttarakhand's Pauri district as part of its ongoing campaign to reclaim government land from illegal occupiers, officials said.
According to officials, the administration has been taking strict action against encroachments to preserve the state's culture, tradition, and demographic balance.
The Uttarakhand administration on Saturday demolished 95 encroachments in Kalagarh of Pauri district in the Garhwal region of the state. This is part of the free government land campaign, in which the administration intends to free encroached land by taking strict action against illegal encroachments.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has already made it clear that any tampering with the culture, traditions, and original form of the state will not be tolerated. Strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to affect the demography of the state or illegally occupies government land.
This decision has created a stir among land mafias and illegal occupiers. So far, more than 5,000 acres of land have been freed from encroachment. Before this, the implementation of strict land laws and action taken against illegal madrasas in Dehradun have also been big decisions of CM Dhami towards preserving the security and culture of the state.
The Pauri district administration said that the action to demolish 95 illegal constructions was done completely under the rules. The officials ensured that no illegal occupant got any concession.
While this action has brought relief to the general public, there is panic among the illegal occupants.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that encroachment on government land will not be tolerated at any cost, and strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to change the basic form of the state.
This development follows the stringent land amendment bill passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly on February 21. The Uttarakhand Assembly passed the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Destruction and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hailed the bill's passing as part of a series of 'historic decisions' made by his government to move the state towards 'innovation.'
"We have taken historic decisions in the state, including the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. We have brought the country's toughest anti-cheating law for the youth... We have made laws to prevent conversion and riots... We are taking the state towards innovation. We try to fulfil what we say, and the land reform law is also a step we have taken in that direction," Dhami told reporters.
While discussing the Bill in the Assembly, the chief minister said that the amendment was not the end but the beginning of land reforms. Dhami said that the state government had laid the foundation of land reforms in line with public sentiment, and work on land management and reforms would continue in the future. (ANI)