In the ongoing state land eviction drives launched across Kashmir and Jammu, the official figures from Bandipora have revealed that less than 2 percent of the total land retrieved was encroached on by the “influential.”
In a press release, The District Administration Bandipora said that it has retrieved around 33000 Kanals of encroached land through intensified anti-encroachment drives.
“The drives have also evicted around 500 Kanals of high-value land from various influential persons of the district, especially in Tehsil Bandipora and Sumbal,” the district admin said.
Pertinently, the JK administration has ordered the Deputy Commissioner to remove the “encroachments” from the state land in Jammu Kashmir by January 31.
Earlier LG Manoj Sinha had said that common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing drive launched by his administration to retrieve state land from encroachers.
District bandipora admin said, the anti-encroachment drives are being continued despite inclement weather conditions and around 500 Kanals of State/Kahcharie land has been retrieved in various Tehsils of the District including 42 Kanals of prime land worth 20 crores in Tehsil Sumbal.
The retrieved land is also being earmarked for various public purposes like developmental projects, playgrounds, village centric amenities, industries, etc. by the Revenue officials in consultation with concerned villagers/PRIs and sign boards are also erected immediately after the eviction drives.
It was given out that out of total 20887 of kahcharai land 17128 Kanals of land has been retrieved amounting to 82% of Kahcharai land in the district and the concerned Tehsildars have already issued notices to the encroachers and the efforts for removal of encroachments on the rest of the land are underway in full-swing.
Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, Dr. Owais Ahmad said, “illegal occupation of Government and public land puts stress on land resources and urged the encroachers to voluntarily remove illegal occupancies or face action.”
As per the official comminque, he said anti encroachment drives are underway across the district and urged public to cooperate in anti-encroachment drives carried out by administration.
He said that the District has created a land bank of around 25000 Kanals out of which around 1550 Kanals have been earmarked for Industrial Estates, 2000 Kanals for Industrial Use (Out of which around 1377 Kanals stand already transferred), around 100 Kalanls for Handloom/ Handicraft and other agri-based activities and around 200 Kanals for setting up of Housing Colony in Watpora Bandipora. Sumbal 500 Kanals of prime land having industrial utility lying adjacent to highway was retrieved in last week and anti-encroachment drives are taken to preserve Government land from illegal possession of land mafia and use the land for public good.
The DC also appreciated the efforts of concerned Tehsildars and other field officials of Revenue Department in anti-encroachment drives and asked them to speed up the drives with added efforts and dedication. He said the retrieved land has been earmarked for Developmental projects, industries, agriculture, horticulture and allied activities.