Anti-encroachment committees formed at district level in Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Acting upon the directives issued by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, anti-encroachment committees have been constituted in every district to monitor the ongoing operation against land-grabbers and encroachments, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued by Punjab government, deputy commissioners will head the anti-encroachment committees which will also include concerned DPO/CPO, a district officer of the local government department and senior officers of development authorities.

The MNAs/MPAs of the district, civil society members and notables of the area will also be included in these committees which will be responsible for planning and monitoring of operation against encroachments and land-grabbers on daily basis.

In this regard, the chief minister has issued directives that state-owned lands must be retrieved from the clutches of powerful mafias and made it clear that indiscriminate operation against illegal occupants of state lands will be continued.

The CM, however, instructed that operation will not be conducted in kachi-abadis (slums), hawkers, daily wage earners and the poor.

If any complaint is received in this regard, action will be initiated against the concerned officials, he had warned.

He said that operation will be continued against the illegal occupants in areas managed by LDA, RDA, FDA, MDA, GDA and other authorities without any discrimination.

“No one will be allowed to usurp the state-owned land and this operation against the powerful land-grabbers will be brought to its logical end,” said the CM.