60, 000 acres of land retaken from grabbers

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN, Irrigation and Livestock retook 60,000 acres of land from grabbers last year in the northern province of Balkh, an official said on Wednesday.

Irrigation Director Kateb Shams, during an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, said that 138, 650 acres of land that belonged to his department had been seized by different influential individuals during war years.

They had been trying over the last few years to recover the land, he said, adding that 60,000 acres had already been wrested back from the encroachers. The remaining 40, 000 acres wouuld be retaken soon, he hoped.

Most of grabbed property in Nehar Shahi and Deh Dadi districts is a meadow and livestock owners of the province have the right to graze their animals there, Shams concluded.

mas/mud