Uttarakhand political dispute intensifies over land use and medical college delays

Political tensions have escalated in Uttarakhand as the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress trade accusations regarding governance and public resources.

BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli responded to allegations concerning 7,000 bighas of government land by accusing the Congress party of historical land mismanagement. Chamoli claimed that during previous Congress administrations, prime lands intended for public projects or industry were sold to private builders at low prices, citing specific instances involving Dehradun’s IT Park and SIDCUL allotments. He asserted that the current Dhami government utilizes a transparent leasing model to drive development in tourism, health, and education.

Separately, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya criticized the state government for failing to operationalize government medical colleges in Rudrapur and Pithoragarh. Arya argued that this negligence deprives meritorious students of affordable medical education, forcing them into expensive private institutions. He called for the government to coordinate with the central government and the National Medical Commission to ensure admissions can begin by the 2026-27 academic year.