Haryana state governmernt has launched a drive to free panchayat land mostly located in rural areas in the state since a long time having encroachments by the farmers or antisocial elements. Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Devinder Babli said that the total 13982 acres land illegally occupied by the encroachers has been freed by the government in as many as 19 districts across the state and the possession handed over to the Panchayats in past two years which include maximum 8721 acre land in Yamunanagar district, 1487 acre area land in Kaithal district and 908 acre land in Panchkula district and possession of such land already handed over to the concerned Panchyats.
According to information, in past about two years Panchayat land illegally occupied by the encroachers several years ago got vacated and handed over to the Panchayats in other districts include over 488 acre land in Bhiwani district, 355 acre land in Ambala district, over 394 acre land in Charkhi Dadri district, about 8 Marla land in Gurugram district, over 245 acre land in Jind district, over 2 acre land in Palwal district, over 8 acre land in Nuh district, over 2 acre land in Panipat district and over 351 acre land in Rohtak district. However, state government has failed to get free illegally encroached land in few districts so far which include Fatehabad, Rewari, Jhajjar, Narnaul, Faridabad , Karnal, Hisar, Sirsa and Sonipat districts.
According to an officer of the department who said that the state government will focus on illegally encroaching big land chunks on priority basis, which have been identified while directing the village Panchyats to identify such chunks and submit a report at the earliest. While presiding over the maiden meeting of the officials of the department, the Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that a policy is being framed to allott this land to the people having illegal possession over it since past several decades at subsidized reserved rates so that they may not be deprived of their profession.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Devinder Babli categorically mentioned that Chief Minister Manohar Lal has already announced that the state government is committed to freeing the land from illegal encroachments. Influential people, who violated the rules and encroached on expensive government lands belonging to Panchayats will not be spared at any cost as this land is not the ancestral property of anyone, He said that Supreme Court of India during April last year has given decision to get vacated all illegally encroached land in the state. Information also reveals that few illegal occupants over these properties had got registered some of the illegal properties originally owned by the Panchayats in their name somehow, which should also be transferred to the Panchayats and necessary amendments should also be made in revenue records.
