Over 1,537 acres of land retrieved

Jammu: Authorities in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir have retrieved over 1,537.4 acres of state land and those given under the Roshni Act during an anti-encroachment drive an official spokesman said on Saturday.
The drive was conducted across Ramban from November 15 on the directions of Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mussarat Islam, the spokesman said.
Providing a break-up, the Revenue department said 283 Kanals of encroached land were retrieved in Ramsoo tehsil, 3,353 Kanals in Gool, 477 Kanals in Rajgarh, 922 Kanals in Banihal, 496 Kanals in Batote, 1,113 Kanals in Khari, 1,923 Kanals in Ukhral and 3742 Kanals in Ramban tehsil.
The anti-encroachment drive has been intensified in all tehsils of the district to remove all illegal encroachments according to rules, the spokesman said.
Under the Roshni Act of 2001, anyone who had previously occupied government land could become its rightful owner by paying the government a certain amount. The Act was stuck down by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 2018.