LAHORE: Around 8,896 acres of Forests Department and 6,916 acres of state land have been retrieved from mafia in Rajanpur, says Punjab government.

The operation was launched on Feb 4 on the instructions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the target of recovery of land from mafia had been achieved in the district, a spokesman said here on Sunday.

The chief minister had constituted a committee comprising Minister for Forests Muhammad Asif, Secretary Forests Sher Alam Mehsood, Dera Ghazi Khan Division Commissioner Amjad Saqib and Rajanpur DCO Ghazi Amanullah to launch an operation against grabbers.

Under the action plan, land worth billions of Forests Department and other state land in 16 villages of Rajanpurhadbeenretrieved.

The spokesman said 1,190 acres in Rakh Bait Baghshah, 738 acres in Rakh Kotla Sher Muhammad, 3,007 acres in Rakh Thal Sanghraj, 162acres in Rakh Dhasa, two acres in Noorpur Sharqi, 256 acres in Noorpur Gharbi, 120 acres in Ralch Bait Sontara, 80 acres in Rakh Bangla,32 acres in Naseer, 27 acres in Ralch Toong, 23 acres in Mud Moulvi, 91 acres in Naushera, 45 acres in Kotla Eason, 945 acres in Rakh Khanwah, 40 acres in Raigistan Shumali and 2,034 acres in Rakh Azmatwala had been retrieved and given under controlofForestsDepartment.

He said 8,896 acres of Forests Department retrieved from grabbers in Rajanpur was very fertile.

Moreover, out of the 6,923 acres in three villages of Rajanpur, the control of 6,916 acres had been taken over by the government while notices had been issued to the people who had built houses on the remaining seven acres.

The 558-acre state land in Rakh Kotla Sher Muhammad, 5,336 acres in Rakh Kotla Eason and 1,022 acres in Rakh Azmatwala has been recovered. -APP