JHANJERI (MOHALI), June 4–Under Punjab’s ongoing drive to reclaim illegally occupied panchayat lands, authorities retrieved 191 acres of prime Shamlat land in Jhanjeri village, Mohali district. The reclaimed property, valued at an estimated ₹2,000 crore, has now been formally handed over to the gram panchayat.
The land had remained under illegal occupation for nearly 60 years, with around 105 individuals using it primarily for agriculture. The recovery follows a protracted legal battle that culminated in a favourable Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling earlier this year.
Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal confirmed that the operation was executed by the rural development and panchayat department in coordination with district authorities and with significant police deployment.
“Despite several legal hurdles, including an earlier stay on eviction, we were finally able to secure possession of this valuable government land,” said Mittal.
The possession warrant was issued in April by Amarinder Singh Chauhan, collector of panchayat land, following the February court verdict.
Duty magistrates Divya P (SDM Kharar) and Amit Gupta (SDM Dera Bassi) supervised the eviction, with police security led by SP (Headquarters) Ramandeep Singh and SP (Rural) Manpreet Singh.
District development and panchayat officer Baljinder Singh Grewal led the operation, crediting its success to coordinated efforts from multiple departments. “This drive was made possible under the guidance of administrative secretary Ajit Balaji Joshi and director of rural development Uma Shankar Gupta,” Grewal said.
Senior district officials, including SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans and ADC (Rural Development) Sonam Chaudhary, also played key roles in the coordinated effort. Following the clearance, formal possession was handed over to Amit Kumar, administrator of the Jhanjeri gram panchayat.
Officials from both the rural development and revenue departments, including BDPO Mehkmeet Singh and tehsildar Gurvinder Kaur, were present at the site to oversee the final handover.
Authorities said further action will be taken to prevent re-encroachment and ensure productive community use of the reclaimed land.
