LUCKNOW, April 29 -- Over half a hectare of prime government land in Sarojini Nagar was cleared of encroachments on Monday. The 0.588-hectare plot, valued at approximately Rs 5 crore, had been illegally occupied and plotted for sale, according to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC). The operation unfolded in Yusufnagar village, also known as Bagiyamau, where encroachers had seized land earmarked for a cemetery. The land, vested with the municipal corporation, had been encroached upon with cemented boundary walls. A joint team of LMC officials and Tehsil administration demolished the unauthorised structures, officials said. Under the guidance of divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob and municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar, the special anti-encroachment team carried out the operation with strict supervision. Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava had earlier constituted the team for the drive. The operation was carried out smoothly despite minor resistance from some local residents, with police personnel from the Sushant Golf City Police Station deployed to ensure peace. According to the LMC officials, the encroachment had been perpetrated by local property dealers and individuals associated with the Ansal Group...