Dehradun, 9 Oct: The Congress and the BJP continue to spar over the allotment of two plots in the IT Park area of Dehradun to a private real estate company. While Congress state president Karan Mahara has accused the government of transferring public land meant for an IT hub to a builder for commercial gain, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt has strongly refuted the allegations, asserting that the land in question was residential and separate from the IT Park.
During an interaction with media persons here in Dehradun, Mahara had alleged that the state government had handed over valuable land, originally intended for IT-based industries, to a private company engaged in constructing flats for sale in the open market. He termed the decision as a “Public to Private Transfer” benefiting the builder lobby at the expense of public interest.
Mahara claimed that in a tender with a base rate of Rs 40,000 per square metre, bids went up to only Rs 46,000 per square metre, and that both the plots were allotted to the same company, RCC Developer. He alleged that the entire process appeared dubious and indicated possible collusion. He further claimed that the company had been given undue relaxation by being asked to deposit only 25 per cent of the amount as advance, with the remaining payment allowed in easy instalments.
Mahara alleged that instead of encouraging IT companies that could have generated employment and skills on the land, the government had allowed apartment projects in the area. He called it an act against the very spirit of a “Skill and Employment-Oriented Economy” and termed it a betrayal of the aspirations of Uttarakhand’s youth.
The PCC Chief also accused SIDCUL, the agency originally established to promote industrial development, of venturing into real estate business, undermining transparency and public accountability. He questioned whether by leasing out valuable state property for 90 years, the government had mortgaged the rights of Uttarakhand’s future generations, calling it a matter of both moral and policy concern.
Senior Congress leaders Pritam Singh and Yashpal Arya have also alleged wrongdoing by the government in respect of land allotment at IT Park to a private builder. Pritam Singh has also submitted a memorandum in this respect to Chief Secretary where has levelled allegations of lack of transparency in the allotment.
In a counter statement, BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt today dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. He asserted that the plots in question were never part of the IT Park and had been designated as residential sites under government orders issued in 2006 and 2008. According to him, the land measuring 6.794 hectares in Dhoran Khas, Danda Nooriwala, Danda Dhoran, and Danda Lakhaund villages along Sahastradhara Road had been allocated to SIDCUL for residential purposes and was officially declared an “IT Park Residential Site” during the 34th meeting of its Board of Directors on March 30, 2012.
Bhatt clarified that during the Congress regime in 2012 and 2013, plots from this land had been allotted to GTM Builders, RBI, and NABARD. As RBI and NABARD failed to utilise their respective plots within the stipulated time, SIDCUL’s 61st board meeting on August 4, 2023, had cancelled their allotments to ensure proper use of the land. The government then initiated a transparent e-tender process under the Uttarakhand Acquisition Regulations, 2025, through tender numbers 206/SIDCUL/2025 and 207/SIDCUL/2025, both dated July 25, 2025.
Bhatt further claimed that the entire procedure had been conducted transparently and in full compliance with the rules, and that the R-1 and R-2 plots were clearly marked for residential use, not for IT or industrial purposes. He also pointed out that in integrated industrial estates such as Haridwar, Pantnagar, and Sitarganj, residential and institutional plots are often allotted alongside industrial ones to ensure holistic development.
Bhatt alleged that Congress was attempting to create sensationalism out of routine administrative matters and advised it to exercise patience and verify facts before levelling accusations. The Rajya Sabha MP said that the land allotment process followed all due procedures and was awarded to the highest bidder, dismissing the Congress’s claims of a scam as false and politically motivated.
He concluded that Congress must first decide whether the original allotment made during its own tenure was wrong, or if it was now deliberately spreading misinformation for political mileage.
