Scrap Apartment Act 2005, says Himachal Congress

Alleging gross misuse, Himachal Congress on Saturday demanded scrapping of the Apartments and Property regulation Act, 2005.

"The Act had been grossly misused by the BJP government and harmed the interests of the state," chief spokesman Kuldeep Singh Pathania said.

The Act meant for easing the housing problem in congested industrial areas was being used to allow the outsiders to purchase land in the state, Pathania alleged.

They have relaxed section 118 of Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, which barred any non agriculturist from purchasing land in the state, he said while talking to mediapersons.

Pathania said the first chief minister YS Parmar had brought the legislation to protect the agricultural lands and interests of small and marginal farmers but its spirit had been defeated and maximum land given to the outsiders for non-agriculturist purposes was agricultural land.