The Uttarakhand government has imposed an interim ban on the purchase of land by ‘outsiders’ from the state for agricultural and horticulture purposes.

Reportedly, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday evening.

“On the instructions of the Chief Minister, it has been decided in the interest of the state and public interest that till the submission of the report of the Land Law Committee or till further orders, the District Magistrate will not allow people from outside the state to purchase land for agriculture and horticulture purposes in Uttarakhand,” an official spokesman was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

During a meeting on Sunday, the CM also instructed officials to ensure that the newly formed expert committee on land law holds extensive public hearings and seeks input from people and experts across different domains.

Earlier, CM Dhami had mandated that land purchases in the state be approved only after thorough background checks on the buyers.

Notably, the state government has formed a drafting committee to prepare a new land law for Uttarakhand.