'Five acres of land retrieved during anti-encroachment drive in J-K's Samba'

Five acres of land belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir government and the state industrial development corporation (SIDCO) was retrieved Thursday during a major anti-encroachment drive in Samba district of the state, officials said.

An anti-encroachment team retrieved the land near Ballol nallah in Birpur village of Bari-Brahmana which was under illegal occupants, Samba Deputy Commissioner Sushma Chauhan told PTI.

She said the SIDCO was given the possession of its retrieved land on the spot.

"The drive will continue in the coming days," she said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Arun Manhas, who led the drive, said the team demolished an illegally constructed wall, over two dozen temporary and permanent structures including ramps, tin sheds and hoardings during the eviction drive.

"A strong resentment was forced by the land mafia but the district administration has overcome all hurdles and successfully retrieved the land," he said.