MDDA Selaqui illegal plotting October 2026: 20 bigha razed in Dehradun

On 17 October 2026 MDDA demolished about 20 bigha of illegal plotting at Selaqui on the Shimla Bypass new highway, and sealed buildings in Dharampur and Kawli.

What happened

Selaqui sits on the Shimla Bypass, west of Dehradun, on the way to Sahaspur and Vikasnagar. It has factories, schools and a new highway, and cheap plots are sold along it. The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) approves layouts and building maps there.

Selaqui, 17 October. Doon Horizon reported on 17 October 2026 that MDDA demolished about 20 bigha of illegal plotting in Selaqui. Live SKG News carried the same drive on 18 October, and Haldwani Live on 19 October, which gave 17 October as the day of the action. All three named two sites:

Kalyanpur, New Highway, Shimla Bypass. About 10 bigha being plotted by a group of developers.
New Highway, Selaqui. About 10 bigha being plotted by a developer and a landowner.

Doon Horizon's report said the colonies had no layout approval.

Dharampur and Kawli, same drive. The same reports said MDDA sealed two buildings in the city:

An illegal construction in Lane No. 6, Pragati Vihar, Dharampur.
A multi-storey building in Mansarovar Colony, Kawli (as the reports spell it).

Live SKG News said an assistant engineer, a junior engineer, a supervisor and police were at the sites.

What MDDA said. Vice-chairman Banshidhar Tiwari told Doon Horizon that people should check whether a plot is legal before putting their life's savings into it. He said the check can be done at MDDA's office or on its official portal. Secretary Mohan Singh Barnia said action is taken on complaints and site inspections, and that demolitions will go on.

Not the first time in Selaqui. The belt has seen the same action before:

19 August 2025. Pioneer Edge reported about 10 bigha demolished near Indian Public School on Raja Road, Selaqui, and about 15 bigha at Sherpur on the Shimla Bypass.
29 November 2025. Garhwal Post reported about 30 bigha demolished at Sherpur, Selaqui.
17 June 2026. Gairsain Live reported about 5 bigha demolished at Sherpur near the New Highway, and an unauthorised construction behind Centennial School in Selaqui pulled down.

One more point. In August 2026, MDDA's 114th board meeting approved a land-pooling scheme in Kalyanpur, Pargana Pachhwadoon, in the Vikasnagar area, Doon Horizon reported. The October reports do not link the demolished colony to that scheme, and we cannot say whether it is the same land. Buyers should not assume a plot is part of an official scheme because it carries the Kalyanpur name.

What it means for buyers in Selaqui and west Dehradun

This section is our view.

A highway frontage is not an approval. Plots on the new highway and the Shimla Bypass are sold on the strength of the road. The road says nothing about whether the colony has an MDDA-approved layout. The Selaqui sites were cleared even though they sat on that road.

Ask for the layout approval, then check it yourself. Get the MDDA approval number from the seller and confirm it at MDDA's office or on its portal, as the authority advises. Find your plot number on the approved layout. A registry alone does not prove approval. Our list of papers to check before buying a plot in Dehradun covers the khatauni, mutation and land-use checks.

If you have already paid in one of these colonies, ask the seller in writing for the layout approval and keep copies of every payment. Talk to a lawyer before paying more.

Buying a flat or floor in Dharampur or Kawli? Ask for the sanctioned building map and check that the floors actually built match it. A sealed building cannot be finished or occupied until MDDA lifts the seal.

Look at approved options first. If you want land in this belt, start with layouts that already have approval. Our page on plots for sale in Dehradun covers prices and the approval checks, and our guide to where Dehradun's plots are explains the west Dehradun belt. For prices in the area, see our west Dehradun land prices report. For the rest of this year's drive, see MDDA's 2026 action against illegal plotting across Dehradun.

Questions people ask

Is buying a plot in Selaqui safe in 2026?

It can be, if the plot is in an MDDA-approved layout and the land records are clean. MDDA has demolished unapproved colonies in Selaqui and Sherpur in 2025 and 2026, most recently about 20 bigha on 17 October 2026, so check the approval before you pay.

Where did MDDA act on 17 October 2026?

It demolished about 10 bigha of plotting at Kalyanpur on the Shimla Bypass new highway and about 10 bigha on the New Highway in Selaqui. It also sealed a building in Pragati Vihar, Dharampur, and a multi-storey building in Mansarovar Colony, Kawli.

How do I check if a colony in Selaqui is approved?

Ask the seller for the MDDA layout approval and confirm it at MDDA's office or on its official portal. Check that your plot number is on the approved layout and that the master plan land use 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.