With
land grabbing by ''the rich and the influential' continuing unabated in the
state, the government is evolving an action plan such as setting up a land
resumption office exclusively for retrieving public lands.
It has
been estimated that public lands coming to lakhs of acres are now in the hands
of certain major players. A recent Centre government document has pointed out
that 44,420 hectares of forest land were encroached upon by certain
plantations in various districts.
Apart
from encroachment of forest lands, lands
on the sides of the lakes and other water bodies are also encroached by resort
mafia, trusts, individuals and
companies, highly placed sources said. ''With encroachment increasing across
the state, the government is evolving an action plan, including setting up of a
land resumption office for retrieving all public lands,'' they said.
With
the Land Bank, which is entrusted with getting back public land, now almost
non-functional, the government is for a separate wing for the purpose of
getting back public lands. The officials said that the Land resumption office
would be given full authority and set up on the lines of the special office
that has been formed recently for taking back illegally possessed lands.
Source
The New Indian express
