MADEJI:Habitual land grabbers once again occupied forest department land in the riverine area of Shikarpur, which was retrieved in operation on the orders of apex court.
A team of forest department, led by Regional Forest Officer Karim Bux Mangrio, along with police, destroyed standing crops on over 70 acre government land today and claimed to have retrieved it.
Mangrio told newsmen that 8,200 acres of Sindh government’s forest department land was retrieved on court directions but the encroachers again occupied land and planted several crops including vegetables.
He said the same people again occupied over 70 acre land and grew various crops which were destroyed again today with the help of tractors and police. The villagers said that forest department officers had taken no action against influential people who were still occupying vast government lands daringly and openly.
The villagers added that government lands could only be retrieved with the help of rangers and heavy police force, otherwise, local officials and police would only do photo-sessions because forest department officials have not yet been able to stop massive deforestation in katcha areas of Larkana and Shikarpur district, they alleged.