In his address to the Uttar Pradesh legislative council on Tuesday, 23 February, CM Yogi Adityanath informed that his government has freed up over 67,000 acres of government land from the clutches of land mafia in the state after it came to power in 2017.
As per reports, CM Yogi was replying to a question raised by MLC Suresh Kumar Tripathi. UP CM Yogi Adityanath stated, “After this government was formed in 2017, an anti-land mafia task force was constructed to free public and private land that was grabbed by mafias under the patronage of those in power and using various tricks. The task force has so far freed up over 67,000 acres of land of the revenue department.”
CM Yogi hinted that the recovered land will be utilised to develop sports grounds in the state for children and youth. He further added, “Priority has been given to sports grounds, whether it is under the sports department, the youth welfare department or under MGNREGA. Our effort is that sports grounds should be made in rural areas at the Panchayat level. If the land is found near primary or upper primary schools, then children will get space for themselves and villagers will also get space for holding public programmes.”
CM Yogi further stated that district magistrates have been instructed to exchange land if needed. “Thousands of village Panchayats have got sports grounds so far”, the CM said.
Yogi govt goes after land mafia
Immediately after assuming power in the state, the Yogi government has been cracking down on the land mafia in the state. Many of the so-called land mafias have been political leaders themselves or connected to political parties. Bulldozers and earthmovers demolishing illegal buildings have become a common sight in the state.
The UP government had demolished illegal structures constructed by MP Azam Khan in Rampur and other areas. Hundreds of acres of land originally owned by private citizens, poor farmers and the government had been occupied by politically powerful goons in the state that had been recovered. The government had taken back the Jauhar University land that was illegally occupied by Azam Khan’s family.
Hundreds of acres of lands occupied by mafia dons like Mukhtar Ansari, Vikas Dubey, several MLAs and self-proclaimed religious preachers have been taken back under government possession in the state.