PR putting maximum efforts to retrieve 13,972 acres land

Source: The Nation

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Railways has accelerated the efforts to retrieve the major portion of around 13,972 acres of land worth billions of rupees found un­der the illegal occupation of private individuals and different government departments across the country. "Around 5,809 acres were occupied in Punjab, 1,181 acres are under encroachment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,948 acres in Sindh and 1,034 acres land occupied in Balochistan," an official in the Ministry told APP. He said the category of land under illegal occupations in­cluded commercial, residential, agricultural and various persons or departments. Giving details of the land, the official said that around 769 acres were commercial in all the provinces, 3,309 residential, 5,512 acres agricultural and 4382 were under encroachment of various per­sons or departments.

The official said the department had also de­cided to accelerate its ongoing anti-encroach­ment operation against land grabbers across the country to recoup its land from different individuals, groups, and even business organi­zations which were using it for residential, com­mercial and agriculture purposes for decades. "The joint procedure orders have been issued to all Divisional Superintendents of Pakistan Rail­ways to retrieve the railway land from encroach­ers," the official added. Accordingly, he said the anti-encroachment operations for retrieval of encroached Railway land all over the Railway network are being initiated by the concerned divisions and notices are issued to encroachers under the Possession Ordinance 1965 for vaca­tion of Railway land/structure within 14 days.

The official said that Pakistan Railway Police, District Administration and law enforcement agencies are informed of necessary assistance in anti-encroachment operations. To further control and restrict new encroachments, he said the responsibilities defined for Railway of­ficers within Railway Station premises, Station Master concerned, within/around the colony premises, inspector of works and Railway Po­lice. "The anti-encroachment schedules, on a three-month basis, are being prepared and sent to all concerned in line with the joint procedure order," he said adding that the operation will be launched with the assistance of Railway Police and district administrations of the relevant pro­vincial governments. The official said PR owned 167,690 acres of land across the country, of which 90,326-acre was in Punjab, 39,428-acre in Sindh, 28,228-acre in Balochistan, and 9,708-acre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.