FARIDKOT: The district
administration has started the process to clear the encroachments at the
Rajasthan feeder canal land. Rajasthan government way back in 1959 had
acquired land in Punjab to lay the canal. Lots of influential people in
the absence of watchdog authorities encroached upon the land from time
to time and many structures including marriage palaces came up in the
encroached land. Only last week Faridkot police had registered case
against a former Himachal civil services officer for selling canal land.
Times of India had highlighted the issue.

Faridkot Deputy
Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said “notices have been issued to the persons
who have raised any type of structure on the land under the eviction of
unauthorized act 1971”. He said “matter has also been taken up with
Rajasthan government to prove its ownership as mutation of the land has
not been entered in revenue records”. DC confirmed it has come to notice
that 6-7 persons have encroached upon the canal land in Faridkot.

About 200 kilometer portion of the 560 kilometer long Rajasthan feeder
canal falls in Punjab and most of the land adjoining canal is under
illegal possession. Some farms, structures including marriage palaces
have come up on the encroached upon land. Whenever the canal authorities
needed sand for taking out repairs in the canal they had to arrange
it(sand) from other places due to encroachments on its land despite
having thousands of acres spare land, said a canal official.

The encroachments on the canal land hogged limelight when last week
Faridkot police registered case against former HCS officer Bhagwant
Singh for selling 6 kanal canal land. As per sources the Rajasthan
government has claimed the rent from encroachers for encroaching upon
the land.

DC said administration will make efforts to evict the encroachments at the earliest.