Murree: Punjab govt recovers Rs2b grabbed land

[Naveed Yaseen]

Usman Manzoor
In an unprecedented move, the Punjab government has recovered 1,400 kanals of forestland worth over Rs2 billion from land-grabbers in Murree, the country’s most popular hill spot.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that this is the first time in our history that such a huge chunk of forestland has been taken back from influential land-grabbers.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Imdadullah Bosal confirmed to this correspondent that 1,400 kanals of forestland has been recovered from land-grabbers in an operation launched in Salkhaiter, Manga and the adjoining areas, which touch the Murree Expressway.

“We have started demarcation of 21,000 acres of forestland and so far demarcated 8,300 acres of forests of which 1,400 kanals were encroached by land-grabbers and we have recovered that land,” said the DCO adding: “The forest department has posted its boundary pillars at new marks after recovering the grabbed land and would recover each and every inch of the grabbed forestland.”

He mentioned that the government was taking action against the land mafia throughout Murree because there were reports of widespread land-grabbing.

Sources said that after the construction of Murree Expressway the land prices shot up and one kanal plot was being sold for Rs1.5 million or more, and the grabbers had occupied the forestland.

Sources also mentioned that apart from the land the wood on the recovered land is worth billion of rupees and the government has also saved the department from such a huge loss.

It is worth mentioning here that Nullah Korang, which passes through the said land, is the main source of water for Rawal Dam, that caters to a population of over 3 million residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. On the same issue Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has also taken suo moto notice to save the environment and water supply to Rawal Dam.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=197813