Government agencies in Madinah have launched an investigation into alleged encroachment of land allocated for public facilities and services in a residential district south of the city, an informed source said. The move comes after monitoring authorities at Madinah Municipality discovered unauthorized construction activities at four sites in the Quba area, Al-Madinah Arabic daily reported. "The alleged violation took place at plots located in a strategic area near the Water and Electricity Ministry's branch in Madinah," the paper said, adding that it was carried out by unknown people. "One of these sites covered an area of 20,000 square meters and located along a well-known commercial street within the neighborhood of Shouran," he added. The remaining three sites also are located near the ministry and covered an area of 2,000 to 4,000 square meters, the source told the Arabic daily, adding that the mayoralty has already instructed the concerned authorities to remove the structures on the four sites. The plots were originally allocated by the government to establish a water treatment plant, the source said. "There was another encroachment on a plot allocated for a public utility along the same street," he added. The alleged land grabbers had tried to obtain deeds for the plots claiming their ownership. The source estimated the total market value of the grabbed plots at SR50 million. A compound wall has been constructed around one of the plots. A correspondent for the newspaper has claimed that he saw several structures coming up within the walls and also on another plot north of this site. The reporter pointed out that it was for the first time that such blatant encroachment was taking place in an important neighborhood like Shouran. "We have never heard of a similar land grab here before," he said.
