DW BUREAU / chandigarh In order to remove the illegal encroachments from panchayat lands across the state, the Department of Rural development and Panchayats has launched a special drive on Thursday and freed 29 acres of panchayat land worth crores of value at Abhipur village under Block Majri, near New Chandigarh. The officials took the possession of panchayat land in the presence of the Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal, senior officials of the Revenue Department and the Rural Development and Panchayat Department. Divulging the details, cabinet minister Dhaliwal said that Bikram Singh encroached this panchayat land since 2007 even Collector of S.A.S. Nagar had issued orders for removal of encroachments in 2014, but panchayat department couldn't take over the possession due to some trivial legal hurdles. The panchayat minister informed that following directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann, he had set a target for the officials to vacate illegal encroachments from 5,000 acres of panchayat land by 31st May, 2022 under a special drive across the state in the first phase. Commencing this special drive today, officials removed illegal encroachment from Mohali, he added. Answering a media query over Justice Kuldip Singh's report, Dhaliwal said that the report will be examined and appropriate action will be taken against perpetrators soon. The Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats also said that the Punjab government is committed to remove encroachments from all panchayat lands in the state and these encroachments will be removed without any discrimination and the lands of the panchayats will be handed over to the panchayats. Director of Panchayat Department Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Deputy Director Joginder Kumar, Naib Tehsildar Majri Deepak Bhardwaj, DDPO SAS Nagar Jaswinder Singh Grewal, BDO Majri Block Jaspreet Kaur and Sarpanch village Abhipur Jaspal Kaur were also present on the occasion. (editor@dailyworld.in)