By Asia Samachar | Punjab |
The Punjab government is ramping up efforts to claw back land illegally occupied by influential people including politicians, bureaucrats and police officials.
In the latest update, the state government on Friday (July 29) announced taking possession of 2,828 acres of encroached land, estimated to be worth Rs 350 crore, in Majri, Mohali.
And some big wigs were allegedly implicated, including Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann’s son, his son-in-law, daughter and former minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar’s son.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was reported to have led the drive.
Rural Development Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal shared details of the seizure at a press conference.
“The illegal occupants included Imaanjit Singh Mann, son of Simranjit Singh Mann, who had allegedly encroached upon 125 acres, and former minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar’s son Harmandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who had allegedly encroached upon 5 acres. The daughter and son-in-law of the Sangrur MP had also occupied 28 acres of prime land illegally,” he said, according to TNS.
Since May 1, the government had so far taken possession of 9,053 acres, the CM said.
Earlier media reports said that rural development and panchayat department data suggests around 18,000 acres of public land, also known as panchayat land, have been illegally occupied. The minister had earlier said after the land was freed from illegal occupation, priority was being given to immediate occupiers while leasing it out for agricultural purposes.
An earlier report by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kuldip Singh had named politicians, cops and bureaucrats in connection with land-grabbing.
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