The anti-encroachment drive launched by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand ltd (SIIDCUl) in conjunction with Haridwar police on Monday at Basowali near Roshanabad stadium remained incomplete in the face of resistance from the farmers who are occupying the land.
The officials returned as the villagers refused to vacate the lands SIIDCUl claims its own. On Tuesday, the farmers were asked by the SIIDCUl authorities to submit their legal documents so that the pending developmental works could be taken up on the land.
Notably, at the time of formation of SIIDCUl in 2003, 1700 acres of land was purchased from BHEl to house industrial units as well as trade-related activities. Encroachments have taken place since then, the SIIDCUl officials claim.
A land dispute has been going on for a long time regarding 96 acres of land supposedly under SIIDCUl’s ownership in Basowali village. While the farmers claimed that the land was theirs the SIIDCUl officials claimed that the land belonged to it.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Regional manager of SIIDCUl, H R Nautiyal who led the anti-encroachment drive said, “We need the land for the developmental works kept in the pipeline, but the farmers claim to have taken a stay order from High Court on the plea why the land of BHEl was sold out to SIIDCUl. This question needs to be posed to the Government and not the SIIDCUl officials. We have asked the farmers to submit the legal papers of the court on Wednesday. After detailed inquiry, action would be taken.”