FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 20, 1978
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THE SPOKESMAN CITED AS TYPICAL EXAMPLES THE IMPROVEMENTS IN TAI PO AND YUEN LONG DISTRICTS -- CONSIDERED THE MOST WORST AFFECTED IN THE ENTIRE NEW TERRITORIES.
HE SAID: +IN THE LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 1,583 SQUATTER STRUCTURES IN YUEN LONG WERE DEMOLISHED BY DISTRICT OFFICE STAFF AND ANOTHER 1,623 PULLED DOWN VOLUNTARILY, OR THE BREACHES RECTIFIED.
*THE LATTER INDICATES THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE COME TO REALISE THAT ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF CROWN LAND IS A SERIOUS OFFENCE.+
IN TAI PO, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT, THE ACTION BY THE DISTRICT'S SQUATTER CONTROL SECTION HAS ALSO YIELDED GOOD RESULTS.
IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, SOME 280 ILLEGAL STRUCTURES WERE CLEARED — WITH ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF THEM DEMOLISHED BY THE IR OWNERS AFTER WARNINGS BY THE DISTRICT OFFICE, HE ADDED.
+DESPITE THE IMPROVED SITUATION, WE WILL EVEN TAKE ON A MORE VIGOROUS APPROACH TO REMOVE THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATIONS.+
THE SPOKESMAN WARNED THAT SUCH BREACHES OF THE LAW WILL RESULT IN VERY HEAVY PENALTY, THE CROWN LANDS ORDINANCE CARRIES A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF A $10,000 FINE AND SIX MONTHS IMPRISONMENT.
RECENTLY, TWO MEN WERE FINED $1,000 AND $600 RESPECTIVELY
IN FAN LING MAGISTRACY FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH COURT NOTICES TO CLEAR AREAS AS SMALL AS 24 AND NINE SQUARE METRES OF LAND THEY WERE ILLEGALLY USING FOR STORAGE AND DOMESTIC PURPOSES.
+1 EARNESTLY HOPE ALL ILLEGAL OCCUPIERS OF CROWN LAND WILL HEED OUR ADVICE AND DEMOLISH THEIR STRUCTURES VOLUNTARILY,+ HE SAID.
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