Hours after the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu & Kashmir, the revenue authorities went into overdrive to remove 'illegal' encroachments made by the influential politicians, businessmen and others across different district headquarters.
In Srinagar, the revenue department retrieved about 52 kanals of land including 40 kanals allegedly occupied by the owners of Hotel Nedou’s at MA Road.
The revenue authorities said a boundary wall and a shed were demolished as part of the eviction drive. Tehsildar South Moin Kakroo said 40 kanals of state land illegally occupied by Nedous Hotel owner at M A Road has been retrieved.
In Jammu, 63 kanals of prime land was retrieved on Monday. Out of 63 kanals, state land measuring 23 Kanal 09 Marla was retrieved by the revenue authorities in village Ghaink Tehsil Bhalwal. The retrieved land was encroached by a former deputy CM Kavinder Gupta.
In Anantnag, the District Administration held massive anti-encroachment drives against Peerzada Mohd Syed, former chief Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress and Ex. Minister Syed Farooq Andrabi, former legislator from Dooru and Ex. MoS and heirs of former chief minister Syed Mir Qasim. According to a statement issued by the Anantnag district authorities, "At Ara Khoshipora, 1 kanal of Kahcharie land under the occupation of Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was retrieved.
The outer wall of his premises which had been constructed on Kahcharai land has been demolished. It is in place to mention that notices for voluntarily removing the encroachments had been issued to the ex. minister but he had failed to give air to the Government direction.
Similarly, the family of Syed Farooq Andrabi, former legislator from Dooru had encroached upon 2 kanals and 7 marlas of Shamilat 4 land by way of orchards at Shistergam. The same lands have been retrieved and notice boards indicating the status of land have been installed on the site.