Himachal Land Row Flares up as Section 118 Dilution Sparks Fears of Ecological and Social Fallout
Shimla December 4
The debate over the proposed dilution of Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act is intensifying across the state as farmers activists and the opposition express deep concern over the future of land security ecology and rural livelihoods in the hill state
Farmers and residents from Kangra Kullu Shimla Mandi and other districts say that a large number of villagers have already abandoned cultivation due to stray cattle wild boar attacks and the rising monkey menace.
Many fields remain uncultivated and farmers warn that weakening Section 118 at this stage will open a direct route for outside investors and real estate players to take over abandoned farmland
Local voices say the situation could mirror neighbouring Uttarakhand where there is no law like Section 118 Private players have already started taking abandoned farmland on long lease for vegetables floriculture and horticulture activity.
Villagers in Uttarakhand say land ownership patterns are shifting quietly and they fear losing long term control over ancestral land.
Similar fears are now growing in Himachal.
Agricultural experts say Section 118 has acted as a protective shield for decades and is the main reason why Himachal could build thriving sectors such as village homestay tourism off season vegetable farming and the five thousand crore apple economy.
This rural backbone survived because farmers stayed on their land cultivated it and reinvested in orchards and greenhouses. Per capita income in the state increased mainly because people retained control over their land
Residents warn that easing land restrictions will push heavy construction into rural belts trigger drilling of deep borewells and cause serious depletion of groundwater which is already under stress in several valleys
People in Palampur say multi storey construction and alleged violations near riverbeds and khads are already damaging the fragile ecological balance
The opposition BJP says the government is putting Himachal on sale by attempting to dilute Section 118.
Party leaders argue that the move will lead to loss of land demographic imbalance and large scale environmental stress.
They add that the law was created to protect small farmers and ensure that Himachal does not meet the fate of states where outside land ownership has transformed local communities
The political debate intensified further after Industry Minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan said that Section 118 had become a source of corruption.
Critics are calling this statement an open admission that corruption is active under the present regime and they demand clarity on why a government that claims to offer transparent single window services cannot stop corruption without dismantling land safeguards
The Himachal High Court has also flagged loopholes in agriculturist certificate rules saying that misuse of these provisions has allowed non Himachalis to acquire land through backdoor channels
All eyes are now on the December 12 conference in Dharamsala where political leaders civil society farmers and experts are expected to push for a detailed debate on the future of Section 118
For many in Himachal the law is not just a legal clause but the foundation that protects the state land economy ecology and identity
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