Dehradun, Feb. 22 -- The Uttarakhand state assembly passed stringent amendments to its land laws on Friday, effectively banning the sale of agricultural and horticultural land to outsiders across most of the state in a move aimed at protecting local interests.

"A strict land law was absolutely necessary to protect the cultural heritage of Devbhoomi, seeking a balance between environment and economy and protecting the rights of the common people," chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said after the bill's passage.

The new legislation, formally titled 'Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Act, 2025', permits non-residents to purchase only 250 square metres of residential land, with strict on...