MDDA approved colony check 2026: how to verify a Dehradun plot

MDDA's website has an approved layouts list and a sector-wise list of illegal plotting. Check both, then confirm the approval at MDDA's office before you pay.

What happened

Selaqui, 17 October 2026. The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) demolished about 20 bigha of illegal plotting at Selaqui on the Shimla Bypass, Doon Horizon reported. The report said the colonies had no layout approval. Vice-chairman Banshidhar Tiwari told the paper that buyers should check a plot's legal status and layout approval at the MDDA office or on its official portal before buying. Secretary Mohan Singh Barnia said action comes from complaints and field surveys, and will go on.

Sector teams since spring. On 29 April 2026, Swaraj TV reported that MDDA had set up sector-wise teams for daily inspections. Mr Tiwari described a "zero tolerance" policy on illegal construction and plotting. Mr Barnia asked people to report illegal plotting to the authority.

The lists are online. MDDA's official website is mddaonline.in. When we checked it on 21 October 2026, it had two pages a plot buyer can use:

Approved Layouts. Two PDF lists. One is headed "Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (Approved Layouts)" and has a little over 100 entries, from colonies approved in the late 1980s to early 2025. For each layout it gives the file number, applicant, site, khasra numbers, total area, number of plots, plot sizes, and submit and sanction dates. The second covers layouts approved through the online system from 5 May to 30 September 2026. It has four entries.
List of illegal/Unauthorized Plotting. Scanned PDFs, one per MDDA sector. They were uploaded between May and September 2026. Each gives a case number, the date the case was opened, the person proceeded against, the site address and the area in bigha. On the day we checked, files were posted for Sectors 1 to 9 and 12, Mussoorie and Parwadoon. Sectors 10 and 11, Rishikesh and Pachwadoon had no file linked.

This is not new. In March 2025, Divya Prabhat reported that MDDA had found 120 illegal colonies across 12 sectors in Dehradun and put the list on its website.

So the answer to "is there an MDDA approved colony list?" is yes. But the lists have limits, which we cover below.

How to check a colony step by step

Get the papers from the seller first. Ask in writing for the MDDA layout approval letter, with its file number and sanction date, and a copy of the approved layout plan. Layout files on MDDA's lists start with "L" (for example, "L/" followed by a number and year). Building map files use other prefixes. Ask for the khasra numbers of the land too.

Find the colony on MDDA's approved layouts list. Open the Approved Layouts page on mddaonline.in and download both PDFs. Search for the file number, the khasra numbers and the village (mauza). The khasra numbers on the list should match the ones in the seller's papers. If the colony is not there, ask the seller why. A colony may have been approved under another name, or offline, so absence is a reason to ask, not proof of illegality.

Check the illegal plotting list for your area. Open the List of illegal/Unauthorized Plotting page and the sector file that covers the area. Search for the colony name, the village and nearby landmarks. If the site appears, stop. If your sector has no file, the list tells you nothing either way.

Find your plot number on the approved plan. A colony can be approved while extra plots are carved out later from roads or parks. The plan should show your plot number, its size and the road in front of it. The approved list gives the number of plots and the range of plot sizes. A plot much smaller or larger than that range needs an explanation.

Confirm at the MDDA office. The website lists can be out of date or incomplete, and the scans are hard to search. Take the file number to MDDA at Transport Nagar, Saharanpur Road, near ISBT, Dehradun. The website gives office hours as 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday, and lists a toll-free number, 1800-270-2533. Ask the planning section to confirm the approval and that your plot is on the sanctioned layout. This is what the vice-chairman has advised.

Use RTI if you need it in writing. You can file a Right to Information request with MDDA asking for a certified copy of the approved layout and its sanction letter. MDDA's site says its RTI manual is "under updation", so check the current process with the office.

Then do the revenue checks. Layout approval says nothing about who owns the land. The khatauni, mutation, encumbrance and land-use checks are in our list of papers to check before buying a plot in Dehradun.

Three approvals people mix up.

Layout approval is MDDA's sanction for dividing land into plots, with roads, parks and open space. The colonizer gets it, before plots are sold.
Building map approval is MDDA's sanction for a house on one plot. The plot owner gets it, before building. MDDA publishes these year by year on its Approved Maps page. A plot in an unapproved layout may struggle to get one.
Registry and mutation are revenue work. The sub-registrar registers your sale deed. The tehsil updates the land record. Neither one checks or proves layout approval.

Which authority? MDDA covers Dehradun city and its surrounding belts, including Mussoorie and Rishikesh, as its own sector lists show. Its 2026 drives have also reached Doiwala, Sahaspur, Selaqui and Vikasnagar. Haridwar and Roorkee fall under the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA), which runs its own approvals. A Nagar Nigam house tax receipt is not a map or layout approval.

What it means for plot buyers in Dehradun

This section is our view.

The list is a starting point, not a certificate. Being on the approved list is a good sign. Not being on the illegal list means little, because the illegal lists are scans, some sectors have none, and new plotting comes up faster than lists are updated. The Selaqui colonies razed on 17 October were being sold this year.

Match the khasra, not the name. Colony names are marketing. Two colonies can share a name, and a seller can borrow the name of an approved one next door. The khasra numbers and the MDDA file number are what tie your plot to an approval.

"Approval is in process" means no approval. Do not pay a token on that promise. If you have already paid, ask the seller for the layout approval in writing and keep records of every payment.

Read the guide before you shortlist. Our page on plots for sale in Dehradun explains the belts, prices and the approval checks in one place. For this year's demolitions across the city, see MDDA's 2026 action against illegal plotting. Buying near Haridwar instead? See our report on HRDA's illegal colonies drive.

Questions people ask

Is there an MDDA approved colony list for Dehradun?

Yes. MDDA's website, mddaonline.in, has an Approved Layouts page with two PDF lists, one up to early 2025 and one for 5 May to 30 September 2026. It gives file numbers, khasra numbers, plot counts and sanction dates. Confirm any entry at the MDDA office.

How do I check if a plot is MDDA approved?

Get the layout file number and khasra numbers from the seller. Find them on MDDA's approved layouts list, check your plot number on the approved plan, and confirm at MDDA's office at Transport Nagar. Then do the revenue checks.

Can I check MDDA layout approval online?

Partly. You can download the approved layouts and illegal plotting lists from mddaonline.in. They are PDFs, not a search tool, and some are scans. The Ease App portal linked from the site is for map applications, application status and grievances. For a final answer, visit the office or file an RTI.

Where is the illegal colony list for Dehradun 2026?

On MDDA's website under "List of illegal/Unauthorized Plotting", as one scanned PDF per sector, uploaded between May and September 2026. When we checked on 21 October, Sectors 10, 11, Rishikesh and Pachwadoon had no file posted.

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.