MUZAFFARGARH: The district administration retrieved 60 acres from land grabbers on Monday in Mauza Khanpur.

The Muzaffargarh assistant commissioner with revenue, police and forest officials conducted the operation against the grabbers who have been cultivating the land for the last 20 years.

The officials destroyed the standing wheat crop and got possession of the farm.

The district administration also got registered a case against the grabbers.

The district administration is being lauded for its action against illegal land occupation, however, some circles said the officials had closed their eyes towards the grabbing of the forest department land in the city area near Behari Colony.

Last year, the district administration got registered a case against former MNA Jamshed Dasti and some former union council chairmen in this connection.

The occupants have built their houses, mosques and schools there while Mepco and SNGPL have generously given them electricity and gas connections.

Behari Colony, which stands on forest department’s land, is now home to 5,000 houses.

The government has tried to vacate the land in three botched operations in the last two years.

The district administration said so far, on the directions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, 1,400 kanals have been vacated from illegal occupants.

A source said the government’s priority was retrieving the government land being used commercially by illegal occupants.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021