HYDERABAD, Nov 11: A meeting on Tuesday decided to establish anti-encroachment cells at taluka level and central monitoring cell at district level to tackle illegal occupation of the government land by encroachers.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Fisheries, Zahid Ali Bhurgari.

The minister directed the anti-encroachment cell at taluka level to be headed by the DDO Revenue and the TPO, the TMO of concerned taluka and representatives of the department as members.

He assigned the Taluka Anti-Encroachment Cell (TAEC) to identify illegal occupation on government land and undertake operation cleanup.

He also directed the district monitoring cell to be headed by the DCO with DPO, EDO revenue and representative of concerned departments as members to monitor the performance of TAECs. He said that he was receiving complaints of encroachment on public and private lands, especially in urban talukas.

He expressed concern over the silence of government departments and warned that it would not only inflict huge losses on the government but also encourage land grabbers.

He said that illegal occupation on the land of HDA, irrigation, highways, Board of Revenue, railways, Auqaf, and other government departments had been reported but no serious efforts made by the authority concerned to get these vacated.

He was shocked to learn that criminals were using names of the PPP leaders and directed the officers not to surrender before political pressure while getting encroachments removed and sought the identity of criminals so as to apprehend them.

He told the officers to prepare a strategy by ensuring protection of the government land, before and after, the operation cleanup.The minister also took notice of arranging Friday bazaars on disputed places and directed to manage these, in future, at open spaces with ample of parking space.

He also directed the provincial and district government authorities to protect their land by fencing it