JAMMU: Over 73 hectares of state land were retrieved during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in different districts of Jammu division on Friday, an official spokesperson said.

The highest - 737 kanals - were freed from encroachers across eight tehsils of Ramban district, he said.

Several illegal structures were demolished during the drive in Ramban, Pogal-Paristan (Ukhral), Khari, Ramsoo, Rajgarh, Banihal and Batote.The highest - 737 kanals - were freed from encroachers across eight tehsils of Ramban district, he said.

Several illegal structures were demolished during the drive in Ramban, Pogal-Paristan (Ukhral), Khari, Ramsoo, Rajgarh, Banihal and Batote.

In Jammu district, prime state land measuring five kanals and two marla at Deeli village was cleared of encroachments during the drive. The state land was allegedly encroached on by a prominent media house and a businessman, the spokesperson said.

The boundary walls of the land were demolished and a "state land" board was installed on the site.

In another drive, 100 kanals of encroached land was retrieved at Palwan village in Akhnoor while a chunk measuring 23 kanals and 13 marla was freed at Partap Singh Pura village in Bishnah.

In Kathua, nearly 495 kanals of state land was retrieved, taking the overall recovery in the district to 1,26,029 kanals and eight marlas, the spokesperson said.

On Friday, state land measuring 127 kanals and five marlas was retrieved in Hiranagar, 194 kanals and 15 marlas in Marheen, 57 kanals and 11 marlas in Dinga Amb, 27 kanals and seven marlas in Basohli, 29 kanals and 13 marlas in Lohai Malhar, 56 kanals and 15 marlas in Mahanpur and one kanal and 13 marlas in Nagri Parole, the spokesperson said.

The Rajouri district administration retrieved over 102 kanals of state land during the daylong drive from Jungrail, Sayal and Choki Handan areas of Nowshera.

Besides, the Sunderbani tehsildar removed encroachment on the Jammu-Poonch National Highway and handed it over to the Border Roads Organisation for road extension, the spokesperson added.