The Himachal Government has decided to launch a special drive to remove 45,000 encroachments on forest land regarding which affidavits had been filed by illegal occupants for its regularisation. Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr Sat Mahajan, Revenue Minister, said in the first phase the encroachments in the reserve forests would be removed. Thereafter the drive would be carried out in the demarcated and non-demarcated protected forests.