According to the Rural Development Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, the Punjab government has identified 26,300 acres of illegally occupied cultivable panchayat land that will be vacated and handed to panchayats by next year.
“The department had started a specific initiative to find such shamlat (common) village land. Moreover, panchayats will be given back the 26,300 acres of cultivable panchayat land that the government has identified,” said minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal.
He further added that the department established a special cell to manage the campaign successfully, and they are carefully reviewing all revenue data. According to Dhaliwal, officials have so far studied records from 86 of 153 blocks to identify this type of land.
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He further stated that they have been instructed to finish identifying this type of land in the remaining blocks by December 2023. Furthermore, the minister emphasised that earlier 9,126 acres were released from illegal occupants and that records of the shamlat land are now being uploaded on the department’s website.
Calling it a major achievement of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal slammed the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments, stating that none of them had ever bothered to identify and vacate the Shamlat land in Punjab.
Subsequently, vacating the illegally occupied Shamlat land was one of the topmost priorities and promises by the Aam Aadmi Party. Moreover, the earlier vacated 9,126 acres of land by the Punjab government has raised hope amongst the people that the remaining illegally occupied land will also be freed soon.
Additionally, issuing a WhatsApp number – 9115116262, minister Dhaliwal urged the people to send complaints or information regarding the unauthorised occupation of Shamlat land. He added that the informant’s identity would be kept a secret.
Furthermore, the Aam Aadmi Party government has been actively acting against corruption and the illegal activities carried out in the state.
