Cabinet Approves Uttarakhand Floodplain Zoning Rules To Regulate Land Use In Flood-Prone Areas

The Uttarakhand government held its first cabinet meeting in Haridwar on Monday, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and approved various proposals involving welfare schemes, administrative reforms and strengthening infrastructure.

The state cabinet first approved the Uttarakhand Floodplain Zoning Rules, 2026, to regulate land use and development activities in flood-prone areas.

Officials said these rules will establish detailed procedures, standards, and operational frameworks to effectively implement the provisions of the Uttarakhand Floodplain Zoning Act, 2012.

They said the objective is to safeguard lives, property, and critical infrastructure from potential flood damage while maintaining the natural flow of floodwaters.

The cabinet also gave in-principle approval for the formation of a society for the development of the Shri Madan Mohan Malviya Prachya Shodh Sansthan at Rishikul in Haridwar.

The objective is to promote Indian knowledge traditions, ancient sciences, culture, and modern research, officials said.

In the meeting, approval was also granted for amending Schedule-3 under Section 49 of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act, 2023.

Under this initiative, a provision has been made to allocate 92 per cent of the proceeds derived from the disinvestment and monetisation of assets – belonging to public agencies, local bodies, state public sector undertakings, and financially autonomous institutions – to the respective public agencies.

This measure will facilitate better asset management and accelerate infrastructure development, an official statement said.

The Cabinet has decided to table the second Uttarakhand Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the upcoming legislative assembly session to simplify business activities and promote 'Ease of Doing Business' in the state.

The Cabinet also greenlit the convening of the third session of the fifth Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly for 2026. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was authorised to determine the date and venue for the assembly session.

Along with this, the Cabinet also decided to table the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Services Bill, 2026 in the assembly.

The bill has been drafted in alignment with the Centre’s Model Fire Service Bill, 2019, which proposes enacting a new law by revising the existing fire-related legislation, taking into account future challenges arising from industrial growth, urbanization, disasters, and potential fire accidents.

The Cabinet has further approved new rules for the recruitment of Agniveers to Group ‘C’ uniformed posts filled through direct recruitment in state services.