Lahore: Operation to retrieve govt land launched

LAHORE – Complying with strict directives of Punjab government to tighten noose around land-grabbers, the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has started clean-up operation against illegal occupants to retrieve government land from their possession.

The immediate task of the LDA is to clear 4,000 kanals of state land grabbed illegally by the land mafia with the connivance of the concerned wings of LDA.

The CDGL has issued orders against all those occupying the government land illegally. All town nazims have been directed to extend all out cooperation to LDA team to make the operation successful.

Under the operation, LDA raided Hanbanspura and Johar Town to take back government land from encroachers. DDO Cantt (Revenue) Syeda Kalsoom along with heavy enforcement of police pulled down 20 out-houses illegally built near Railway line in Cantt division, Harbanspura. The operation team demolished the out-houses and retrieved them form illegal possession. The operation is still continuing to withdraw approximately 4000 kanals of government land from unlawful residents.

LDA officials said that the LDA was also all set to take action against squatters who occupied the land of centre government in the name of unregistered housing societies in Harbanspura. An illegal housing society ‘Asif Town near Dial House was one of them, sources added.

“A large number of residential and commercial units have been built in Asif Town which included official land in the society without any approval or authority with the connivance of the concerned officials in Town Municipal Administration,” sources informed.

LDA also conducted another raid under the supervision of Estate Management Directorate in E-Block Johar Town in line with the orders of LDA Director General Irfan Ali to protect the land allocated for the construction of educational institutions, parks and hospitals from land-grabbers.

During the operation, LDA authority demolished the illegal construction situated on 40 kanal land earmarked for children park in said area and cleared it from illegal-possessors.

It may be recalled that action was taken when residents of Board of Revenue Housing Society filed a request to LDA authority concerned to take action against illegal construction on children park in Johar Town in front of Maulana Shaukat Ali Road.

LDA and Wahga Town teams also retrieved government land in Darogawal and Bund Road areas. While red notices have been issued to all encroachers to vacate the government land voluntarily to avoid action against them.
Under the action plan, all the government land which belongs to province or centre will be retrieved from squatters across the board. The property of Lahore Development Authority, its registered housing societies and other official land belonging to government departments will be taken back from the land-encroachers.

Several teams reinforced by heavy contingent of police have been constituted to execute the grand clean-up operation. District Coordination Officer (DCO) is supervising while District Officers

(Revenue) have been assigned a task to monitor the operation.  Concerned Town Nazims and Town Municipal Officers (TMOs) are also lending their assistance in the implementation of the action plan.

Source: The Nation