Is the state going to start forcibly reclaiming land from squatters? The committee tasked with repossessing state-owned land has reportedly refused to push the deadline on land registration and legalization beyond 14 June, sources close to the matter tell Al Mal. Authorities launched a nationwide campaign last year to clear unlicensed developments and reclaim land that had been illegally occupied or acquired. Anyone who will fail to get their affairs in order before the deadline will have effectively effectively defaulted on their right to contested land, which gives the state legal authority to reclaim it. An Agriculture Ministry official tells the newspaper that reclaimed agricultural land will be auctioned off and sold. Local Administration Minister Abu Bakr El Gendi had said last week that the deadline was pushed from mid-March to allow people more time to finalize their paperwork.