Encroachments razed in Haripur

HARIPUR: The district administration on Thursday demolished several shops and residential units and wrote to higher authorities for removing a police post and a school, which were illegally constructed on government land on Sirikot Road.

Haripur Assistant Commissioner Arif Khan Yousafzai and Assistant Director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (KPHA) supervised the campaign against encroachments as a heavy police contingent was deployed to maintain order.

Arif Khan Yousafzai said that public space as per KPHA records was 110 feet on the Sirikot Road between Panian Chowk to Behra but according to demarcation carried out by highway authorities, the people have illegally occupied government land measuring three kanals and constructed shops, kiosks and housing units. He said the Panian police post and a portion of Government Primary School Behra were also built on the land meant for road.

He said that during the first phase of anti-encroachment drive, the squad has reclaimed around 32 marlas state land between village Panian and Bhera, demolishing 9 wooden kiosks, 4 shops and 3 houses using heavy machinery.

The official said that he had written to higher authorities for removing the buildings of police post and Government Primary School, Bhera that were also occupying land of the highway.