locals of the Dwarso area in Ranikhet staged a protest here against purported allocation of public land to the Jindal group. Raising slogans against the Government, the protesting villagers alleged that the State had dubiously allotted about 300 nali land to builders in the area.
The local villagers allege that Himanshu education society had erected a board of Jindal education society near the Deeda village about three kilometers from Kakdighat.
They further allege that their pasture land and water source are being damaged. The builders brought heavy machinery and removed trees from the area overnight and installed a power transformer on the same night.
The villagers had in the past also complained to the administration officials at Ranikhet and Almora but the officials remained apathetic.
The local Patwari was unable to convince the protesting villagers who also accused the Gram Pradhan of connivance, stating that none of the villagers had come to know when the land was sold by whom.
Extending support to the villagers, Uttarakhand Parvartan Party head PC Tiwari alleged that the State Government is supporting the land mafia in a big way.
Tiwari averred that when he had raised this issue with the Vidhan Sabha speaker, he was told that the Government can give its land to anyone.
Jivan Chandra of Krantikari Janvadi Morcha said that the land cannot be sold without the consent of the villagers. He accused the State government of working towards degeneration of the villages.
Sarpanch Ganesh Rana said that if all work is not stopped at the site, the villagers will soon start a protest demonstration at the site.