Govt writ ensured by retrieving land: Buzdar

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said the writ of the government has been ensured by retrieving state land from illegal occupants.

He said the retrieved lands would be utilised for public welfare purposes while continuing indiscriminate crackdown against land grabbers as the government will go to every extent to eliminate the menace of squatting in the province, he emphasised.

In this regard, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) retrieved 563,736 kanals of the state land in three years valuing over Rs198.70 billion. Around 10,141 kanals of land worth Rs11.88 billion have been retrieved in the Gujranwala region while 5,610 kanals of land was recovered in the Rawalpindi region having a market value of Rs11.02 billion.

Around 135,896 kanals of state lands were regained in the Faisalabad region valuing Rs34.65 billion and another 52,884 kanal land was seized in the Sargodha region with a market value of Rs16.123 billion. Around 41,306 kanals of land valuing Rs28.43 billion in the Sahiwal region was also retrieved while the value of 54,314 kanal recovered in the Multan region was Rs21.22 billion.

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The market value of 74,777 kanals recovered in the Bahawalpur region was Rs18.60 billion.

Around 176,594 kanal of the state land recovered in the DG Khan region valued at Rs20.48 billion. State land 1,182 kanals of land valuing Rs26.56 billion in Lahore region-A, 10,843 kanals of state land in Lahore region-B and 184 kanals worth Rs2.21 billion in the headquarters region were also reclaimed from the illegal occupants.

Buzdar has directed the department concerned to make anti-dengue surveillance more effective along with the provision of the best medical facilities to dengue patients at hospitals.

While issuing directives to Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid from Saudi Arabia on a telephone call, the CM said availability of medicine be ensured as there is no justification for its shortage.

The line departments, commissioners, as well as deputy commissioners, should ensure strict compliance with the anti-dengue plan as every department will have to proactively work to save the citizens from dengue disease, he continued.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2021.