LAHORE: On the orders of Punjab Ombudsman retired Major Azam Suleman Khan, the irrigation department has retrieved 341.25 acres of state land from illegal occupants in Rajanpur Canal Division.
The total value of the recovered land is estimated at Rs390.6 million.
Meanwhile, the department also took into custody 36 illegal water pumps during its extensive operation to curb canal water theft and retrieval of state land.
Alongside, it also demolished 63 illegally constructed shops. The retrieved state land has been handed over to the concerned sub engineer and the field staff has been directed to take necessary steps to save the government lands from being reoccupied.
The irrigation department has further intimated to the ombudsman office that 28 cases were registered against 395 accused in Rajanpur during 2018-21 while taking into custody 333 illegally installed pumps.
As a result of action taken by the ombudsman office on another application, the 1.6 Kanal property of one Khalid Pervaiz from Kabirwala tehsil of Khanewal has been recovered from illegal occupancy and handed over to him. The land has a market value of Rs4 million.
On another application submitted to the ombudsman office by Mohammad Asif from Jhang, 650 square feet of government land with a market value of Rs1 million has been handed over to the housing department after its retrieval from illegal occupants.
Meanwhile, the own motion notice of Khan has helped a widow Azra Bibi from Okara to eke out her property right after the death of her husband.
