Doiwala illegal plotting 2026: MDDA demolitions and a Jolly Grant probe

MDDA demolished about 25 bigha of illegal plotting in Doiwala's Majri Grant in September 2026, and the district ordered a probe into plotting on government land in Jolly Grant.

What happened

Doiwala, Jolly Grant and the villages around them sit between Dehradun and Rishikesh, close to the airport. Through 2026 the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has kept demolishing colonies laid out there without approval. In September the district administration also turned to complaints about plotting on government land.

Majri Grant, mid-September. Doon Horizon reported on 16 September 2026 that MDDA demolished illegal plotting over about 25 bigha of farm land in Doiwala tehsil. Live SKG News carried the same action on 17 September. Both reports gave two sites. At Shergarh Majri Grant, two developers were plotting about 10 to 15 bigha. At Fatehpur Majri Grant, another developer was plotting about 10 bigha. Taken together, the per-site figures come to 20 to 25 bigha.

Jolly Grant, 21 September. At the district's Jan Samadhan Diwas at the Dehradun Collectorate on 21 September 2026, Doon Horizon reported, a group of villagers from Jolly Grant made two complaints. The first was that plots once allotted to economically weaker sections, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes had been occupied by land mafia after the original allottees died. The second was that illegal plotting was going on over land the Irrigation Department acquired in 1965 for canals and tube wells, and over village common land. The report said the additional district magistrate told the SDM of Doiwala to carry out an immediate field and record check. We found no report yet of what that check found.

Dudhli Road, end of August. Public Voice reported on 31 August 2026 that MDDA sealed a building at Chandmari on Dudhli Road in Doiwala. The report said the buildings either had no approved map or did not match the one that was approved. It said action was taken under the Uttarakhand Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.

Earlier in 2026. The September actions follow a run of others in the same belt:

16 January. Hill Live reported about 40 bigha demolished: about 30 bigha on Kudkawala Road near the BSF camp at Nakat Bhatta, and 8 to 10 bigha at Jhabarawala.
28 February. Nazariya News reported about 77 bigha demolished: about 65 bigha at Markham Grant and about 12 bigha at Kheri. It said internal roads and plot markings had already been laid.
15 July. Doon Horizon reported 30 bigha demolished near the railway crossing on Khatta Road.
23 July. Devbhoomi Media reported about 5 bigha demolished on Kheri Road, including roads built for the colony.

Adding these reports gives roughly 170 to 180 bigha in Doiwala tehsil this year. That is our sum of press figures, not an MDDA total. MDDA has not published one that we could find.

The authority's message has not changed. Vice-chairman Banshidhar Tiwari told Doon Horizon in September that people should check layout and land-use validity at the authority's office or official portal before buying. Secretary Mohan Singh Barnia said drone and ground surveys were going on across the district.

What it means for buyers in Doiwala and Jolly Grant in Dehradun

This section is our view.

The pattern is the same every time. A farm field is cut into plots. A kachcha road and a few boundary walls go up. The plots are sold cheap as a "colony" near the airport or the highway. Then MDDA demolishes the roads and walls. The buyer keeps a sale deed for a patch of farm land with no approved access and no services.

Ask for the MDDA layout approval and find your plot number on it. A registry alone does not prove a layout is approved. The sub-registrar registers the deed; MDDA approves the layout. Our list of papers to check before buying a plot in Dehradun covers the khatauni, mutation and land-use checks as well.

Be extra careful near Jolly Grant. The September complaint names two kinds of land that ordinary checks can miss: old allotments to weaker sections, which usually come with limits on sale, and land the Irrigation Department acquired decades ago. Ask the tehsil to confirm the khasra is not government, allotted or acquired land. Do not rely on the seller's word or an old map.

Wait for the probe. If you are already in talks for a plot in Jolly Grant, ask the seller in writing whether the land is part of the SDM's inquiry. If there is any doubt, pause the payment until the result is known.

For the wider picture, see our report on MDDA's 2026 drive against illegal plotting across Dehradun, and our guide to where Dehradun's plots are.

Questions people ask

Is buying a plot in Doiwala safe in 2026?

It can be, if the plot sits in an MDDA-approved layout and the land records are clean. In 2026 MDDA has demolished unapproved colonies across Doiwala tehsil, including Majri Grant, Markham Grant, Kheri and Khatta Road, so check the approval before you pay anything.

What is the Jolly Grant government land complaint about?

On 21 September 2026, Jolly Grant villagers complained of illegal plotting on land the Irrigation Department acquired in 1965 and on village common land. They also said plots allotted to weaker sections had been occupied. The SDM of Doiwala was told to inspect the sites and records.

How do I check whether a Doiwala colony is approved?

Ask the seller for the MDDA-approved layout, then confirm it with MDDA's office or official portal, as the authority itself advises. Check that your plot number appears on that layout, and that the land use in the master plan allows housing.

Sources

Buying or selling property in Dehradun and unsure about the paperwork? Call Neeraj Thapa on +91 98320 03494.

How we write these: the ILA Infra team reads the reports listed under Sources and links every one, so you can check each figure yourself. The section on what it means for buyers is our own view, not advice.