Army moves plea to acquire tea gardens in Kangra

SHIMLA: The Indian Army has proposed to acquire 6,000 kanals of tea gardens near Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The necessity for the same has been felt because the army wants additional land for its camp at Dhanota, near Palampur. The proposed land is about 5 kilometers from the headquarters of the Rising Star Corps in Dharamshala.

The army had moved a similar application in the past too. However, it was turned down by the district administration which cited provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling of Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 1999.

Documents accessed by HT reveal that army rules mandate that there should be no civilian pocket in an army settlement. As a result, the army is moving the plea to acquire the said land.

The sub-divisional magistrate, Palampur, has sent his recommendation to the Kangra district administration to allow the army to acquire tea gardens in “public interest”. This is despite the fact that the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling of Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 1999, bans the sale of land under tea cultivation. The said law also empowers the government to acquire tea gardens if their land-use is changed.

Speaking to HT, Kangra deputy commissioner CP Verma said, “During civil-military liaison conferences, the army has been insisting on acquiring large chunks of land, including tea gardens, in certain areas. Its requirement is huge. The matter has been referred to the government.”

The district administration had earlier suggested that the army should search any barren land instead of the tea gardens.