Drive launched to free shamlat land from encroachers

Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra today said a drive had been launched to free 'shamlat' lands (village common land) from the possession of encroachers.
"All the Deputy Commissioners (DC) have been directed to hold monthly meetings to scrap all such under-the-carpet deals and dispose off all pending cases of land encroachment," he said in a release here.
Rural Development and Panchayats Department officials would assist the DCs to free the government land.
Rakhra said the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) has written a letter to all Deputy Commissioners to hold meeting every month to deal with the cases of Shamlat lands takeover.

DCs have been instructed to implement land possession warrant in the stipulated time frame so as to divest encroachers from illegal possession of common land. They have been asked to ensure the disposal of all such cases within three to six months.
He said that Deputy Commissioners would have to submit the proceedings of all such meetings to the Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Financial Commissioner (Rural Development and Panchayats) and the Director of Rural Development and Panchayats.
Rakhra further said as demanded by the Panchayats, Tehsildar (revenue official) would have to demarcate Shamlat lands within 30 days. "There is a substantial increase in the income of Panchayats as the auction process of Shamlat land has been made online," said Rakhra.

He said the department earned Rs 237 crore from online land auction in the current year as against Rs 221 crore last year.