With about 30,000 acres of Punjab’s land illegally encroached upon, the State Government on Tuesday declared to deal with the elements of land mafia, who have encroached the forest land, with an iron hand.
As a part of the same, the government has initiated a major encroachment removal drive in ludhiana district wherein the state Forests and Wildlife Preservation Department has successfully lifted encroachments at over 225 acre forest land.
Besides, the Department has chalked out a plan for the removal of another 560 acres of encroached land, said the state Forests and Wildlife Preservation Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on Tuesday.
He said that as per the record, 30,000 acres of land have been illegally encroached upon in Punjab, and the elements of land mafia, who have encroached the forest land would be dealt with severely.
Dharamsot said that 7,500 acres in Amritsar, 5,000 acres in ludhiana, 3,000 acres in Jalandhar, 2,500 acres in Ferozepur, 150 acres in Patiala and 11 acres land in Hoshairpur district has been encroached by the land mafia.
He said that 21,000 cases of land encroachment are under trial in various courts of the state. “The encroachment drive is being carried out over the land for which no trial is pending in any court,” he said.
The Minister said that he has ordered inquiry to find out forest land encroachment cases in Mohali district.
Dharamsot said that officers have been directed to remove the encroachments on forests land in the state, under which major encroachment removal drive was undertaken in the divisional forest area of ludhiana and total government forest area of 225 acres out of a total encroached area of 392 acres falling under the two villages — Kot Umra and Gaursian Khan Mohammad — falling in Sub-Division of Jagraon (Rural) was reclaimed from illegal possession.
He said that these areas are along the banks of river Satluj and the state forest department and district administration were planning the operation since last two months.
The forest headquarters at SAS Nagar, led by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jitendra Sharmam, had kept a close and constant eye on the entire operation. There are nearly 72 cases in litigation under PP Act with the concern SDMs for the possession of 167 acres of remaining land.