At a press conference held in Dehradun, the Uttarakhand Congress accused the state government of handing over prime state land to corporate entities at throwaway prices. Karan Mahra, Chairman of the ‘Charge-sheet Committee,’ targeted Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, pointing out that while the land purchase limit for the general public is capped at 250 square meters, the government is leasing 7,000 *bighas* of government land to select companies for a 90-year term. He alleged that the state exchequer is being defrauded by fixing lease rents for commercial land based on agricultural circle rates.
Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya alleged irregularities in the tender process and the leasing of 142 acres of land at the George Everest Estate to a private operator for a mere ₹1 crore annually. Meanwhile, former MLA Manoj Rawat claimed that land allocations made by the Health Department were cancelled to extend undue benefits to tainted real estate companies.
