LAHORE - The Punjab government is all set to launch a grand operation to retrieve 31,687 kanals of encroached land worth billions of rupees in the metropolis on Tuesday (today).

Two teams consisting of 80 men, 20 trucks and two tractor loaders will take part in the operation. Officials of the Lahore Development Authority, district administration, Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore, Walled City of Lahore Authority, Department of Forests, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, Sui Gas and Department of Revenue will take part in the operation. This will be the first grand operation under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government against the land mafia.

A permanent Anti-Encroachment Cell was also set up to monitor the anti-encroachment drive. This decision was taken by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Anwarul Haq at a meeting on Monday. Haq will lead the operation.

Of the two teams, which will execute the grand operation, Team A includes LDA and MCL and Team B includes MCL and WCLA. Team A will retrieve land from Sabzazar Truck Stand and occupied plots of LDA and MCL. Team B will target temporary and permanent encroachments in markets like Anarkali, Wallington Road and Urdu Bazaar.  Rescue 1122 ambulances and Fire Brigade vehicles will accompany both teams, which will be backed by Punjab Police.

Sources in the Lahore Development Authority said the grand operation had been launched in accordance with directions of Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Punjab Minister for Housing Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed. Both ministers are spearheading an operation against the land mafia.

Sources said a go-ahead from high ups in the government had been given to officials to launch an indiscriminate operation against the land grabbers and defy any political pressure.

Forests Department’s 35 acres land will be retrieved during the operation. Around 50,000 trees will be planted under the Prime Minister’s Green Pakistan Programme on the land retrieved from the land grabbers.

After the Capital Development Authority had launched the operation in Islamabad, the provincial government has been repeatedly talking about launching an operation against land grabbers. It took more than a month to develop a strategy against the encroachment mafia in the province.  The Punjab government has already approved a grand operation against encroachments across the province. It was decided at a meeting on Sunday chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. The CM urged people to cooperate with the government in identifying land grabbers. Lord Mayor of Lahore Mubashir Javed had said in an interview to The Nation that a lack of resources and manpower were hurdles in the way of the operation against land grabbers in the city.  The Walled City of Lahore Authority has also warned encroachers inside the Walled City to remove encroachments in order to avoid any damage or financial loss.

WCLA Director Conservation & Building Control Najam Us Saqib said that measures against land grabbers were necessary to keep the heritage and original fabric of the city intact. In light of the decision taken by the High Court no illegal encroachments will be tolerated, he said.