LAHORE:On the orders of Ombudsman Punjab Maj (retd) Azam Suleman Khan, the Irrigation Department retrieved 341.25 acres of state land, valuing Rs 390.6 million, from illegal occupants in Rajanpur canal division.
The possession of the retrieved land has been handed over to the sub-engineer concerned, while the field staff has been directed to take necessary steps to save the government lands from being reoccupied, said a handout issued here on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department also confiscated 36 illegal water pumps during its extensive operation to curb canal water theft.
The Irrigation Department has informed the Ombudsman’s Office that 28 cases had been registered against 395 persons in Rajanpur canal division during 2018-21 and 333 illegally installed pumps were confiscated.
In another case, action was taken on the Ombudsman’s Office and 1.6-kanal land having a market value of Rs 4.1 million of one Khalid Pervaiz was recovered from illegal occupancy and handed over to the applicant in Khanewal.
On another application, submitted to the Ombudsman’s Office by one Mohammad Asif of Jhang district, a 650 square feet government area with a market value of one million rupees was handed over to the Housing Department after its retrieval from illegal occupants.