CM Mann Warns Encroachers, Says “Vacate The Shamlat Land By May 31”

Punjab CM Bhagwant has warned all those people having government or panchayat land in illegal possession to immediately hand over the land to the government by May 31. He warned that in case the land was not voluntarily surrendered, then the government would be forced to register fresh FIRs against erring persons, besides making them to pay previous liabilities accrued on the illegally possessed land.

In a tweet, Mann reiterated his government’s firm commitment to get such land vacated from anyone, including politicians and officers. 

CM Mann tweeted, “People who have illegally occupied panchayat or government land, may be politicians, officials or other influential persons, I appeal to them to vacate the illegal possession by May 31. Otherwise, old penalties and new police cases can be initiated.”

He said the department has been able to free 60 acres in Patiala district, 12 acres of shamlat land in Hoshiarpur district and 20 acres in Fazilka district. Dhaliwal has announced that as per the plan, 319 acre of land will be freed in Patiala alone in the coming days.

Hailing the CM’s statement, AAP state chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said the Punjab government is fully committed to protecting the capital, resources and assets of Punjab. “Illegal occupation from all resources will be removed so that the rule of law can be restored in the state,” he said at a press conference after the chief minister warned people to remove illegal encroachments within this month.

Kang alleged that during previous governments, panchayat and government lands and other resources were looted and the situation was so bad that no political leader was ready to give up government houses, pension and illegally occupied land.

Meanwhile, the CM Mann also warned that in case these lands are not voluntarily surrendered, then the government would be forced to initiate “purane kharche, nave parche” (register fresh FIRs, besides making encroachers pay previous liabilities accrued on the illegally possessed land). Punjab rural development and panchayats minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal too has launched a drive to free the illegally occupied land in different parts of the city.

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