719-acre village common land freed of encroachments in Ludhiana district

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, June 17

Continuing its drive against encroachers and land sharks, the district administration has freed over 719 acres of village common land of illegal occupations in different parts of Ludhiana during the past one month, officials have said.

While the possession of the freed land worth several crores of rupees has been handed back to the village panchayats concerned, another 100 acres of government land has been identified across the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, which was still under encroachments and will be vacated soon, the administration has confirmed.

Sharing details, Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik told The Tribune here today that the district administration has intensified the special drive against encroachments launched last month and a zero-tolerance policy was being adopted towards illegal occupation of government land in the district.

“Following the directions of the state government, we have been able to free almost 90 per cent of the total encroached land in the district during the past one month, while the remaining 10 per cent of the illegal occupations identified on the government land will be removed in the coming days,” she said.

Divulging the block-wise data of the government land that was under illegal occupations for the past several years and has now been vacated, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Amit Kumar Panchal said the biggest chunk of over 227 acres of village common land has been freed in Ludhiana-2 block, followed by over 196 acres in Sidhwan Bet.

Among other blocks, more than 78 acres of government land was vacated in Ludhiana-1 block, over 48 acres in Raikot, 44 acres in Maloud, 38 acres in Sudhar, 24 acres in Pakhowal, 22 acres in Doraha, 12 acres in Jagraon, 11 acres in Machhiwara and more than 2 acres of village common land was freed of encroachment in the Dehlon block in this district.

Panchal said the vacated village common land will be given on contract after following due procedures and the income thereof would be credited to the accounts of the village panchayat concerned, which will be spent for development and other common purposes of the village concerned.

“The process was underway to vacate the remaining government land from encroachments in the district,” the ADC (D) said.

FIGURES AT A GLANCE

• 819 acres Total land under encroachments
• 227 acres in Ludhiana-2 Biggest chunk vacated
• 719 acres Freed
• 100 acres Yet to be vacated
• Land cost: Several crores of rupees

OFFICIALSPEAK

We are committed to vacating each and every inch of government land of encroachments. While the maximum such land has been freed of all encumbrances, the process to vacate the remaining identified land under illegal possession is in progress and will be cleared soon. — Surabhi Malik, Deputy Commissioner

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