Over 2,000 acres of forest land in two districts of Jharkhand have been recovered from the land mafia since 2017 and their registrations cancelled, a forest official said Thursday.
A plantation drive has been launched in the recovered land to create awareness among the public and generate employment, Sanjeev Kumar, Regional Chief Conservator Officer (RCCF), Hazaribag, said.
"Opium was being cultivated in collaboration with Maoists and smugglers in 1250 acres of forest land in Chatra," he said.
Forest department has destroyed the contraband worth Rs 50 crore and arrested over 500 people in this connection, Kumar said.
"A total 850 acres out of total 935 acres grabbed forest land have been recovered in Hazaribag and the process of recovering the remaining 85 acres is on," he said.
The official said the drives to recover the grabbed forest land in the two districts, which got registered in the names of the land grabbers since 2007, were launched in 2017.