Punjab Colonies Minister Manazar Ali Ranjha, while admitting that the government is on a 'weak pitch', to retrieve the encroached state land, has said a comprehensive strategy is being evolved to vacate the state land from illegal occupants in the province.
He was briefing the newsmen about the one-year performance of his department in a news conference here on Thursday.
The minister said the government has earned an amount of over Rs 63.178 million through sale of 42 acres of commercial, residential and agriculture lands in the province during 2003.
"A provincial authority is being set up, which will be given the task of retrieving the state-land in the province. The authority would also arrange sale of the land, which will be retrieved from the illegal occupants, also pursue the cases of encroached land in different courts", he added.
Giving details about the state-land, the minister said the total state-land area is consisted of 1,081,051 acres out of which 272,662 acres are under the possession of illegal occupants, adding as many as 147,321 acres have been retrieved during the period of January-December 2003, while 671,233 acres were earlier retrieved. As such the total land that was vacated is 808,389 acres, he maintained.
Similarly, an area of 72,052 acres belongs to the government under the head of Charagah (meadow) out of which 29,788 acres are under the possession of illegal occupants, he said, adding the government, during the period of January-December 2003, has retrieved 12,155 acres, while 30,334 acres were earlier retrieved thus making a total of vacant area to 42,264 acres.
The minister said the government has allocated 100 kanals in Sheikupura under Gujranwala Oustees Scheme, 800 kanal in Mianwali under Chashma Barrage Oustee's scheme, 99 kanal and 13 Marla and 100 kanal in Khanewal and Multan under the Terbela Dam Oustees scheme, respectively.
Highlighting the future plan, he said the Punjab government would allot 100,000 plots of five-Marla in 18 districts of the province till the end of this month.
Similarly, an area of 112,714 acres would be allotted to the land-less people of those having less then four-acre of land, he said, adding this step is being taken to ensure proper use of agriculture land to enhance agriculture production in the province.
Besides this, the farmers would be facilitated for the procurement of seeds, fertiliser and agriculture machinery, he added.
To a question, Ranjha said the allottees of these lands would be restrained from transferring such land for a period of 10 years.
In pursuance of chief minister's direction, residential plots would also be allocated to the government employees in all the district headquarters.
He also said the Colonies Department is preparing a directory for the state-land, which would contain necessary information pertaining to location of state-land, its status (whether encroached or otherwise), and names of illegal occupants, etc.
To another question, the minister said the present government has allotted only 12,000 acres of land to the martyrs of Kargil, adding the government had not allotted even a single Marla to any person in violation of rules and regulation.