Bulldozer Brouhaha: Punjab CM Mann Announces Anti-encroachment Drive, Demolishes Opposition Outcry

Notwithstanding a joint onslaught from the opposition over the demolition drive in a Jalandhar locality a few months ago, the Punjab government on Friday announced a major crackdown on the illegal encroachment on government land soon.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann gave an ultimatum to encroachers of government land to vacate the areas by May 31 or face action. The Aam Aadmi Party government had faced criticism for the demolition exercise in Latifpura area of Jalandhar a few months ago. It had also become an issue during the recent Lok Sabha bypoll. But days after recording a massive win in the election, the Mann government announced the drive.

The chief minister said that the state government was committed to freeing land from encroachments. He alleged that during the tenure of successive governments in the state, affluent people had illegally encroached upon precious government land by violating the norms, which is unwarranted and undesirable. “From day one after assuming charge of office, my government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal encroachments,” said Mann.

The CM announced that the state government has so far freed more than 9,000 acres of government land from encroachers. He said that this momentum will be continued further and every inch of government land under encroachment will be vacated by all means. Bhagwant Mann asked the encroachers to vacate the land under their possession by May 31, failing which government action will follow.

The chief minister said that a massive anti-encroachment exercise by the state government will be started from June 1. He said that no one, however affluent they may be, will be spared during this drive to be started in the larger public interest. However, Bhagwant Mann categorically said that people residing on such land, if any, should not worry as they will not be dislocated during the drive.