Land Policies, Pension Choices, and Fraud Cases Stir Debate in Himachal Pradesh Assembly

In a recent Himachal Pradesh Assembly session, issues including land purchase laws for non-agriculturists, pension choices for government employees, cryptocurrency frauds, pending project reports, and illegal mining were discussed. The government maintained a stance against amending land provisions and revealed high opt-in rates for the Old Pension Scheme among employees.

Himachal Pradesh's Revenue Minister, Jagat Singh, reaffirmed the government's stance on land purchasing laws, stating that non-agriculturist natives still require governmental permission to buy land, as stipulated by Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed queries on employee pension schemes, highlighting that a significant number of employees have chosen the Old Pension Scheme, prevalent across government departments. Moreover, he shed light on the state's cryptocurrency fraud issue, with several arrests made and millions in assets confiscated.

Other significant matters included the pending detailed project reports with NABARD and a crackdown on illegal mining. Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan reported actions taken against unlawful mining activities, with substantial penalties recovered.

(With inputs from agencies.)