Jaisalmer: The district administration Thursday demolished more than 300 illegal ‘kutcha’ and ‘pucca’ structures built on govt land valued on Khuhri Road, about 5 km from the district headquarters. The value of the land is estimated at Rs 400 crore.Nagar Parishad commissioner Lajpat Singh Sodha said land mafias targeted nearly 400 bighas of municipal land reserved for a residential colony named after former Maharawal Bujraj Singh. He said the land was encroached upon, illegally divided into small plots and sold to unsuspecting buyers.According to Sodha, hundreds of people were duped into purchasing the plots, leading to the construction of nearly 300 houses. He added that some occupants also obtained electricity connections for structures built on the encroached land.After the Nagar Parishad detected the large-scale encroachments and illegal plotting, the administration constituted a special team to carry out the demolition drive. The operation was conducted with heavy police deployment and earth-moving machines.Officials said there was brief resistance from encroachers, but police brought the situation under control, after which the demolition team razed the structures and reclaimed the land.The Nagar Parishad said it has identified other areas in the city where illegal colonies have been developed, or govt land has been encroached upon and that similar action will be taken.Sodha urged residents to be cautious while purchasing land, stating that mafias were misleading people by illegally selling plots on govt land. He advised prospective buyers to verify ownership documents and ensure required No Objection Certificates and Nagar Parishad approvals are in place before any buy.
