Vacate govt land by May 31, warns Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday warned all those having taken illegal possession of government or panchayat land, saying they should immediately vacate it and hand it over to the government by May 31 or face action.
In a tweet, Mann said, “People who have illegally occupied panchayat or government land, may be politicians, officials or other influential persons, I appeal to them to vacate the illegal possession by May 31. Otherwise, old penalties and new police cases can be initiated.”
The CM warned that in case these lands are not voluntarily surrendered, then the government would be forced to initiate “purane kharche, nave parche” (register fresh FIRs, besides making encroachers pay previous liabilities accrued on the illegally possessed land).
Punjab rural development and panchayats minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal too has launched a drive to free the illegally occupied land in different parts of the city.
He said the department has been able to free 60 acres in Patiala district, 12 acres of shamlat land in Hoshiarpur district and 20 acres in Fazilka district. Dhaliwal has announced that as per the plan, 319 acre of land will be freed in Patiala alone in the coming days. tnn