Over 2,300 hectares land retrieved during anti-encroachment drive in J-K

Jammu: Over 2,300 hectares of state and kahcharai’ land were retrieved during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Sunday.

The anti-encroachment drive is going on in full swing in all tehsils under the direct supervision of Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Devansh Yadav, registering 75 percent progress, he said.

“The district administration has activated men and machinery on mission mode to evict the illegal occupants from the state land. Till date, around 47,552 kanals (2377.6 hectares) of state and Roshini land, out of total 64,192 kanal, have been retrieved,” the official said.

Under kahcharai land, he said, over 384 kanals (19.2 hectares) have been retrieved, out of a total encroached 572 kanals through a series of anti-encroachment drives. The retrieved land in Kishtwar town is worth crores of rupees, he added.

Yadav has passed strict directions to Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Kishtwar, Varunjeet Singh Charak and all tehsildars to chalk out a comprehensive plan and intensify the eviction and demolition drives in collaboration with police and other concerned in the coming days so that the rest of encroached land is retrieved in stipulated time.

Meanwhile, officials said more than 35 kanals of encroached land was retrieved from illegal occupants in different parts of Kathua district on Saturday.

The retrieved land included over three kanals and six marlas from former minister Prem Sagar Aziz and nine kanals and 15 marlas from District Development Council, Chairman, Kathua, Col (retd) Mahan Singh from Plahi village, they said.

The officials said the land freed from the encroachers also includes a high-value land worth Rs 2. 41 crore in Basohli sub-division.

The Jammu district administration has retrieved prime government land, measuring 20 kanals and five marla, from Machallian-Nagbani village in the Domana area on the outskirts of the city, they said.

Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Avny Lavasa appreciated the efforts of revenue officers and asked them to leave no stone unturned to retrieve the state land from encroachers.