300-bighas-of-forest-land-cleared-in-shahjahanpur-after-74-years

The administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district has cleared encroachments on around 300 bighas of forest land, bringing to an end an alleged 74-year-long illegal occupation, police said on Wednesday.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said farmers had encroached upon nearly 300 bighas of forest land within the Khutar police station limits and converted it into agricultural fields, cultivating crops there for decades.

According to the police, the forest department had made repeated attempts over the years to remove the encroachments, but those efforts failed to yield results. The department later sought police assistance to reclaim the land.

Acting on the request, a joint team led by Circle Officer Praveen Malik, along with administrative officials and forest personnel, carried out a clearance drive. During the operation, standing crops on the disputed land were ploughed under official supervision.

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The SP said the team encountered resistance from some farmers during the drive but proceeded with the removal of the encroachments.

Officials maintained that the land forms part of designated forest area and had been under illegal occupation for decades.

In November last year, authorities in the Jalalabad area of Shahjahanpur demolished around 30 houses allegedly built on 13 bighas of government land amid protests by residents. Earlier, district administrations in parts of western and central Uttar Pradesh have also carried out drives to reclaim forest and revenue land from long-standing encroachments, often deploying heavy police presence to prevent clashes.

Several such operations have involved demolition of structures or removal of standing crops, triggering resistance from affected families but being defended by officials as part of a broader crackdown on illegal occupation of public land.

The latest operation is part of an ongoing effort by the district administration to identify and reclaim government and forest land from alleged encroachments.