Rudrapur (Udham Singh Nagar): BJP Government in Uttarakhand led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is currently carrying out a drive against encroachment and illegal construction of mazaars in the state but more such allegedly illegal structures are still being reported in the state, particularly in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Under orders from CM for stringent action and demolition of such illegal mazaars coming up on public land, forest land and even on private land is currently grappling with the proliferation of allegedly illegal mazaars constructed on government land. This issue is of a major concern over encroachments and land misuse. The local Intelligence reports indicate that such structures have been erected in towns and villages including in Bazpur, Gadarpur, Kashipur, Rudrapur, and Lalpur. In Kashipur, for instance, multiple illegal mazaars have surfaced along the main road to Bazpur and within the Kunda police station area. Earlier, reports had highlighted around 30 such structures in urban and rural areas of Kashipur, many of which were allegedly built to encroach upon government land and create disputes over private properties.
Despite prior notices of demolition issued to them, many of these illegal structures remain intact. In Kashipur city, the local authority had issued a written notice regarding one such mazaar, warning that the encroachment must be removed within two weeks. However, eight months later, the illegal structure has still not been removed. Similarly, in Rudrapur, an allegedly illegal mazaar near the Lalpur Toll Barrier obstructed road widening work and is currently under scrutiny by the Waqf Board Tribunal. In Gadarpur, allegedly an illegal mazaar has been constructed inside the government horticulture department’s fruit orchard, prompting the administration to issue a notice regarding this encroachment.
The emergence of several illegal mazaars with identical names, such as ‘Kalu Sayyad’ near Jaspur, has also been observed. Notably, mazaars with this name have been found in other states like Gujarat and UP, raising questions about the standardisation of such structures. Earlier, several mazaars with similar names in Uttarakhand had already been cleared by the Dhami government’s demolition drive. The presence of an illegal mazaar inside the Khatima forest has also been confirmed.
In response to these growing concerns, the state government has intensified its efforts to remove illegal encroachments. It may be recalled that CM Dhami has recently shared with media that the government has freed 9,500 acres of government land from illegal occupation and removed over 550 illegal mazaars. He had also asserted that the government has committed to completing its campaign by removing the remaining illegal structures. A recent demolition drive on 3 July in the Kundeshwari area of Kashipur resulted in the removal of five illegal mazaars constructed on government land. Additionally, in Dehradun, an unauthorised mazaar built on government land belonging to the Irrigation Department in Nehru Gram was demolished on 30 August and another more recently. In Ramnagar, a joint operation between the Railway Department and District Administration led to the demolition of an illegally constructed mazaar on railway land in Lutabad village.
These actions are part of a broader campaign by the Uttarakhand government to address illegal constructions on government land. The government has formed committees to identify and remove such structures, with a focus on preserving public land for its intended purposes. While these measures have been welcomed by many, they have also sparked debates concerning religious equality. At the same time, the government has maintained that its primary objective is to ensure the lawful use of public land and prevent encroachments.
