Won't relax Himachal Pradesh land law: BJP President Satpal Satti

Himachal Pradesh BJP President Satpal Satti on Sunday said the government will not relax the law with regard to the purchase of land in the state. He accused the Congress of misleading people by launching the Himachal Bachao Campaign and spreading misinformation in this reagrd. He claimed that the Congress tempered with the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, five times in the past.
Satti also distanced the party from the statement made by state BJP vice-president Ganesh Dutt recently. "Views expressed a few days ago by BJP state vice-president Ganesh Dutt for an amendment to the Act were his personal. Some sections of society keep demanding an amendment to the Act. Any such decision may be taken by the BJP after proper discussion in its state executive," he said.

Commenting on the demand made by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi that outsiders be allowed to buy land in the state, the BJP president said both leaders might not have read state law carefully. The BJP chief said it was wrong to equate the state law with Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi might not have read the HP land law carefully before making the demand, he said, adding that Section 118 of the Act was entirely different from Article 370. Section 118 in the state law bars the transfer of land to non-agriculturists, Himachalis or non-Himachalis without the permission of the the state government.

However, sub section 2 (g) gives non-agriculturists the right to purchase a house or land for building a house from the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority without permission. The law was enacted to save forests, tribal customs and interests of small farmers, he said. He said there was a provision in the Act under which anyone could buy land in the state after getting permission from the state government.