10,800 kanal area illegally occupied in Srinagar

Srinagar, Sep 11: The district administration here has failed to clear more than 10,800 kanal of illegally-occupied land.

The state government has directed the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir several times to retrieve the state land that has been encroached upon

In July this year, for example, the then-governor directed all district development commissioners to immediately carry out a “comprehensive mapping of all encroachments”.

According to the Revenue Department, the total land encroached upon in the district is more than 12,000 kanal, of which only 1,230 kanal has been cleared.

More than 10,800 kanal are still under illegal occupation.

As per the records, the total occupied government land is 800 kanals and 11 marlas from South Tehsil, of which only 19 kanal and 11 marlas have been retrieved.

From North Tehsil, the details reveal, the total government land under illegal occupation is above 3,000 kanal and 14 marlas, out of which only 977 kanal and 14 marlas have been retrieved, so far.

The details reveal that most of the area under illegal occupation is in Eidgah, where above 3,600 kanal and 7 marlas of land has been encroached upon and only 105 kanal and 5 marlas retrieved.

Shaltang area has above 1,500 kanal and 8 marla of land under encroachment, out of which only 55 kanals have been retrieved, the revenue records show.

As per the records, in Pantha Chowk, more than 2,000 kanals and 11 marla of land is under encroachment and only 35 kanals and 4 marla have been freed.

The total land under occupation in Chanapora and Natipora areas is above 700 kanals and 11 marla out of which only 37 kanals and 4 marla have been revealed.

Assistant commissioner Revenue, Zahoor Ahmad, said, “We are seeking report on monthly bases from the Tehsildars concerned. This is a continuous, ongoing process.”

He said he could not predict how much time clearing the land was going to take.“Some cases are complicated as they are been heard in court and take time,” he said.