Dehradun Land Scam: 500 Acres Of Govt Land Vanish, Replaced By Luxury Resorts And Hotels

A massive land scam is unfolding in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, where over 500 acres of prime government land have seemingly vanished. This land, originally allocated for mining operations, is now almost entirely encroached upon, with luxury resorts, hotels, and other illegal structures standing in its place.

A Brief History: From Mining Hub To A Supreme Court Ban

The story begins in the 1960s when the Geological Survey of India (GSI) leased over 500 acres in the scenic Dehradun-Mussoorie region to various companies for mining.

However, recognising the fragile ecology of the Doon Valley, the Supreme Court of India, in a landmark 1985 judgment by Justice PN Bhagwati, imposed a complete ban on all mining activities in the area. Following the court's order, the entire 500 plus acres were placed under the custody of Dehradun's District Magistrate (the top administrative official of the district) for ecological restoration. In simple terms, the land was officially back under full government control.

The Critical Failure: How Government Lost Control

In a major lapse—whether deliberate or due to negligence—the local administration failed to take actual physical possession of the land after the ban. This critical oversight opened the floodgates for illegal encroachment over the years.

The former mining lease land is spread across numerous prime locations, including areas on Mussoorie Road, Sahastradhara, Selaqui, Haridwar Road, and Patel Nagar, among others.

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Eco Task Force's Hard Work Wasted

After the mining ban, an Eco Task Force was assigned the difficult job of restoring the barren, mined-out land. After years of dedicated work, especially on the lower hills of Mussoorie, they successfully re-greened the area. Tragically, as soon as their restoration work was complete, the land grabbing and misuse began.

Ecological Concerns And The Official Word

This issue has gained urgency amid the current heavy monsoons, which have caused widespread landslides in Uttarakhand, highlighting the dangers of unplanned construction in sensitive zones.

The land in question is "non-ZA" (Non-Zamindari Abolition) land, a legal category that means it is wholly owned by the government with no private ownership claims, making the encroachment a serious crime.

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According to Savin Bansal, the current District Magistrate of Dehradun, "The present ground reality of the land that was handed over to the Eco Task Force clearly illustrates the fate of all the lands that were freed from mining activities."