By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal on Sunday questioned the state government’s clarification that only 45 acres of land had so far been made available to the Uttarakhand Infrastructure and Investment Development Board (UIIDB), saying the government should answer the allegations through the chief minister or the concerned minister rather than “hiding behind officials”.
Godiyal was responding to a statement by Principal Secretary Planning and UIIDB Managing Director R Meenakshi Sundaram, who said reports that 7,000 bighas of land had been allotted to the board were “factually incorrect”. Sundaram said only 45 acres of identified land had so far become available to UIIDB and that neither had 7,000 bighas been handed over to it nor was any process under way to acquire such an extent of land.
Godiyal, however, said the Congress had alleged that the government was contemplating the sale or allocation of land extending to 7,000 bighas. He said the government should directly clarify the basis of the land allocation and pricing rather than using senior bureaucrats to respond to political questions.
“Uttarakhand’s precious land cannot be sold in the name of building a developed state by 2047,” Godiyal said, arguing that the state had limited land resources that also had to be preserved for future generations.
He rejected comparisons between Uttarakhand and Punjab, saying the hill state faced much greater constraints on land availability. He also questioned the government’s decision-making on land prices, asking it to disclose the complete formula used for allotments involving land at Sahastradhara IT Park and Sahaspur. “If the government is using SIDCUL rates as the basis, it should explain the entire formula. Let the land be auctioned in the open market and see whether the government gets three times the price or not,” Godiyal said.
He also sought clarity on whether the proposed 60-year leases contained provisions for conversion to freehold. Referring to earlier allegations of corruption in land transactions, he asked what safeguards would ensure that future allotments remained free from malpractice.
The government, meanwhile, has maintained that UIIDB was created to facilitate investment, employment and planned economic use of available government land, particularly in the service sector.
Sundaram said the board was intended to promote investment in tourism, hospitality, wellness, education, healthcare, IT and other services, with the government aiming to double Uttarakhand’s GSDP over the next five years. He said creating a systematic land bank was necessary in a state where availability of suitable land for large investment projects was a major challenge. Sundram stressed that government land would be used only in accordance with existing laws, rules and environmental norms, and that the objective was not unplanned transfer or sale of government land.