my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Nov: BJP State Media In-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan today said that ownership of all land under the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) will continue to remain with the government and that there is no proposal to sell public land. He said the government’s objective is to maximise the economic potential of such assets by developing them as centres for investment, employment generation and sustainable tourism, thereby making them productive while ensuring full protection of public ownership and state interests.
Responding to allegations levelled by the Leader of the Opposition, Chauhan claimed that under the proposed framework, private investors would only be granted the right to develop and operate approved projects. He emphasised that such rights would remain subject to investment commitments, phased development obligations, environmental safeguards and other conditions prescribed by the government. He added that the process is expected to attract investments of approximately Rs 1,500 crores to Rs 2,000 crores in the hospitality sector alone.
According to Chauhan, these investments have the potential to generate more than 5,000 direct and over 10,000 indirect employment opportunities for local youth. He further claimed that the state can receive additional revenue of around Rs 200 crores to Rs 250 crores. Apart from this, he said, the initiative would strengthen tourism, increase tax collections, encourage local procurement and create wider economic opportunities for residents.
Chauhan said the state government has already clarified that asset monetisation is an established mechanism adopted by the Government of India and has been utilised by various public agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India and the Rail Land Development Authority. He said this clearly demonstrates that asset monetisation is neither privatisation nor a direct sale of public assets. Rather, it is a structured process aimed at attracting private capital and leveraging the economic potential of public assets in the larger public interest and in line with the Uttarakhand government’s long-term development objectives.
The BJP leader asserted that the state government remains fully committed to protecting the interests of Uttarakhand and its people. At the same time, he said, it is necessary to make the public aware of what he described as misleading campaigns being run by certain sections. Referring to allegations regarding various government properties, Chauhan said that contrary to claims being circulated, no public land has been sold directly.
He stated that properties such as HMT, IDPL, certain Public Works Department rest houses and orchards belonging to the Horticulture Department have been cited in the opposition’s campaign, despite the fact that these assets continue to remain with their original departments. He further said that land parcels identified for hospitality projects and other development works are currently at the master planning or pre-feasibility stage and no final decisions have been taken regarding their utilisation.
Chauhan maintained that misinformation regarding the status of government land and public assets can create unnecessary confusion and potentially hamper the state’s development efforts. He urged the people not to be misled by such claims and reiterated that ownership, regulatory control and reversion rights over all such assets would remain fully safeguarded with the state government throughout the process.
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