BANDIPORA, JANUARY 30: Acting tough against land grabbers, the District Administration Bandipora has retrieved around 33000 Kanals of encroached land comprising around 16000 Kanals of State Land and 17000 Kanals of Kahcharie 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 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 including 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 (DC) Bandipora, Dr. Owais Ahmad said that illegal occupation of Government and public land puts stress on land resources and urged the encroachers to voluntarily remove illegal occupancies or face action.

He said anti encroachment drives are underway across the district and urged the public to cooperate in anti-encroachment drives carried out by administration.