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Govt. frees 209.5 hectares of land

Dehradun: Bowing to demands by farmers, the Uttarakhand Government on Friday freed 209.526 hectares of land, acquired under the Greater Doon project, in six villages.

Announcing this at a press meet here, Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri said the land use pattern of the freed land would not be changed for the next 10 years and the land-owners who have received any compensation in the past will have to return it to the government with interest.

The decision to free the land in six villages -- Raipur, Brahmanwala, Dhorankhas, Tarala Nagal, Majra and Kargi Grant -- has been taken in view of demand by the affected farmers, he said.

Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority, a government agency, acquired 654 hectares of land belonging to 30 villages for Greater Doon project.

Later, bowing to the demands of farmers, the previous government freed 444.53 hectares in 24 villages but the land in the remaining six villages could not be freed due to some legal problems.

This has been a contentious issue since then and senior BJP leader Nityanand Swami staged a dharna in support of the demand of the farmers of the six villages.

The issue found a place in the BJP manifesto during the assembly elections earlier this year.

On the issue of jobs to local youths in the industries, Khanduri said his government was ensuring that industries provide at least 70 per cent of jobs to the locals. “Although the 70 per cent job formula is not being complied with fully, the rate is gradually increasing,” he said. – PTI

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Govt. frees 209.5 hectares of land

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