KARACHI, Sept 9: The District Coordination Officers (DCOs) have been directed to approach courts of law to take legal action against land grabbers and encroachers under the Illegal Dispossession Act 2005 and retrieve government lands in their respective districts.

The DCOs have also been directed to present a monthly report in this regard.

These directives were issued following a meeting presided over by the Chief Secretary, Fazalur Rehman. Important decisions were taken at the meeting regarding implementation of the act in the province.

Senior member, Board of Revenue (BOR) Syed Anwar Haider, Secretary Law Ghulam Nabi Shah, Secretary Local Government Muhammad Ishaq Lashari and member Land Utilisation Khalid Mehmood Soomro attended the meeting.

The chief secretary stressed the need for utilisation and implementation of the Illegal Dispossession Act 2005.

Under the act, unwanted activities of property grabbers will be eliminated through legal action against elements occupying and encroaching upon public and private property, land, and plots. Land grabbers will be awarded imprisonment up to 10 years through courts.

The meeting decided that the provincial law and local government departments and the Board of Revenue would create coordination to retrieve precious government property from the clutches of land grabbers under a consolidated strategy.

The meeting also decided that an organised and consolidated plan would be pursued to ensure the protection of government property and lands, and no influence or expediency would be tolerated in legal action against the land mafia.—APP