In order to prevent further land encroachment along the Rispana and Bindal rivers, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority has reclaimed and handed over about 450 bigha land valued at more than Rs100 crore to the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun. According to MDDA, this land would be used not only for the river front development project but also for various urban development works in the State capital.
According to the MDDA secretary Prakash Chandra Dumka, Chief Minister Harish Rawat had chaired a meeting with officials of MDDA, district administration and the MCD about two months ago. The MDDA secretary said, “It had emerged in this meeting that one of the biggest crisis facing the MDDA is the absence of a land bank for execution of various development works. Most of the land in Dehradun is either revenue land or municipal land. Expressing concern at rising encroachment in the city, the CM had directed necessary action following which MDDA took the lead under the direction of its vice chairman R Meenakshi Sundaram. A joint team comprising officials of MDDA, MCD and district administration was formed and combined inspections of lands along the Rispana and Bindal rivers were conducted. After this we undertook combined demarcation of the land which had not been encroached upon by pucca structures and such lands were fenced off after being identified to prevent encroachment. We then handed over the possession of such lands to the MCD. At least 450 bigha land in various areas valued at more than Rs100 crore has been thus fenced off and its possession handed over to the MCD in the last two months. We are continuing this drive of identifying such lands which can be used not only in the river front development project but also for various other developmental works like construction of EWS and lIG housing, sports village, roads, sewage treatment plant and parks among other public utility constructions,” he said.
It should be noted here that land has been reclaimed thus in areas including Brahmanwala, Kargi Grant, Niranjanpur, Kishanpur, Dhaurankhas and Jakhan