Ghaziabad, Jul 3 (IANS): The Ghaziabad administration has identified 57 land mafias operating in the district and in neighbouring Noida, Greater Noida and Hapur.

"The administration has uploaded their profile on its anti-land mafia portal and has sent a detailed report to the Uttar Pradesh government," said Jitendra Sharma, Additional District Magistrate-Executive (ADM-E) Ghaziabad.

"After identifying 57 land mafias, the district administration enforced the Gunda Act against 12 and the Gangster Act against 30 of them. Total 92 criminal cases have been registered against them," said Sharma.

According to the administration, 558 hectares land was found grabbed by the mafia in different circles of the district.

"Though 250 hectares of land was freed, a substantial part is still in illegal possession under litigious circumstances. The district administration is planning to get the entire land rid of illegal occupation for which a strategy is been chalked out," said the officer.