In a determined effort to reclaim encroached panchayat land, Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, issued stern directives to field officers during a crucial meeting held on Thursday. The meeting, which brought together divisional directors and DDPOs at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, saw the Minister emphasizing the need for expeditious action and accountability.
S. Laljit Singh Bhullar stressed the importance of timely progress reports and requested all officers to submit their respective reports within 15 days. The Minister informed those in attendance that the department has successfully reclaimed 11,859 acres of panchayat land from illegal possession.
However, he highlighted that possession warrants for 6,657 acres of panchayat land across the state have been issued but are yet to be acted upon by field officers. Minister Bhullar assertedively directed district officials to address these pending possession warrants promptly.
During the meeting, the Rural Development and Panchayat Minister reviewed the status of encroached panchayat land block by block. He noted that cases pertaining to 6,926 acres of panchayat land are still pending with the DDPOs under Section-7 of the PP Act. Additionally, cases under Section-11, related to the possession of 20,734 acres, are pending with the Divisional Directors and Additional Deputy Commissioners.
Furthermore, no cases have been registered under Section-7 of the PP Act concerning approximately 42,381 acres of land. In response, the Cabinet Minister instructed officials to expedite the resolution of pending cases through swift hearings and to take necessary action in remaining cases.
Minister Bhullar underscored the need for effective follow-up on pending cases in higher courts and directed senior field officers to personally attend court hearings. He specified that BDPOs would attend hearings of cases in the high court, while DDPO-level officers would attend Supreme Court hearings to ensure the department's effective representation.
The Minister also insisted on an investigation into certain irregularities in the revenue records related to the ownership rights of panchayat land. He warned that if these actions were deliberate, stern action would be taken against the officials responsible.
To support the department officials in the task of vacating encroached panchayat land, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar called upon all Deputy Commissioners and SSPs to provide necessary administrative assistance. The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Finance Commissioner Rural Development and Panchayat, Mr. Tejveer Singh, and other department officials.