The Punjab government has decided to set up anti-encroachment committees in every district to monitor the ongoing operation against land-grabbers and encroachments. In this regard, a notification was issued on Tuesday. All the deputy commissioners of the province will be bound to send their report regarding "Anti Encroachment Drive" to the Chief Secretary on the daily basis.
The deputy commissioners will head the 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.
In the notification, all the deputy commissioners of the province have been directed that "state 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".
However, operation will not be conducted in kachi-abadis and against hawkers, daily wage earners and the poor. If any complaint is received in this regard, action will be initiated against the concerned officials, the notification warned. It said that operation will continue against all the illegal occupants in areas managed by the Lahore Development Authority, Rawalpindi Development Authority, Faisalabad Development Authority, Multan Development Authority, Gujranwala Development Authority and other authorities without any discrimination.