Jammu, Sep 2 (PTI) A shopping complex illegally constructed on an acre of government land was demolished on Wednesday during an anti-encroachment drive in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.

A team of officials dismantled the illegal shopping complex having seven reinforced cement concrete (RCC) shops with a hall measuring 100 feet x 60 feet near Army cantonment Katli along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, he said.

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He said multiple JCB machines were used to dismantle the complex which was built illegally on state land.

The spokesman said the Samba district administration has issued directions across the tehsil administrations to identify encroachments in their area and report directly to the deputy commissioner's office so that proper verification can be done and necessary action taken.

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"Strict warnings are also being served on the land mafia that any attempt to encroach on state, private, khad and other types of lands will not go unnoticed, and immediate action will be taken as warranted under the law," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)