The Ministry of
Defence has received reports from the land management agencies under it, of
about approximately 10126 acres of defence land being under encroachment. This
is around 0.58% of the total land holding of Ministry of Defence. Reports and
complaints on the subject are received from time to time but no centralized
record of such complaints is maintained by the Ministry. Action against
encroachment is taken under the law viz. Public Premises (Eviction of
unauthorised occupants) Act, 1971 and Cantonment Act 2006. In addition action
aimed at prevention, detection and removal of encroachments, is an ongoing
process. As a result of these efforts extent of defence land, recorded as
illegally occupied or encroached has reduced by approximately 2512.83 acres in
the last three years.
Directorate
General Defence Estates (DGDE) in the Ministry of Defence maintains a
comprehensive data bank of defence land across the country. The details of
total area of land under the ownership of Ministry of Defence, State-wise is as
under:-
|
State
|
Area (in acres)
|
|
Andaman
& Nicobar Islands
|
8166.39
|
|
Andhra
Pradesh & Telangana
|
39735.03
|
|
Arunachal
Pradesh
|
4787.39
|
|
Assam
|
25493.31
|
|
Bihar
|
11925.44
|
|
Chandigarh
|
176.25
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
1582.41
|
|
Dadara
& Nagar Haveli
|
0
|
|
Daman
& Diu
|
196.00
|
|
Delhi
|
11628.55
|
|
Goa
|
3025.58
|
|
Gujarat
|
24807.00
|
|
Haryana
|
37211.36
|
|
Himachal
Pradesh
|
8096.65
|
|
Jammu
& Kashmir
|
22338.51
|
|
Jharkhand
|
7713.62
|
|
Karnataka
|
33124.71
|
|
Kerala
|
5279.40
|
|
Lakshadweep
|
39.85
|
|
Madhya
Pradesh
|
231073.96
|
|
Maharashtra
|
138802.10
|
|
Manipur
|
1294.41
|
|
Meghalaya
|
4029.40
|
|
Mizoram
|
0.21
|
|
Nagaland
|
551.28
|
|
Odisha
|
18015.72
|
|
Pudducherry
|
20.38
|
|
Punjab
|
78329.18
|
|
Rajasthan
|
821186.68
|
|
Sikkim
|
3078.07
|
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
21233.46
|
|
Tripura
|
2679.51
|
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
123309.97
|
|
Uttrakhand
|
27168.07
|
|
West
Bengal
|
40955.70
|
|
Total
|
1757055.54
|
All Defence land
is earmarked for Defence purposes. To ensure proper utilisation of Defence
land periodic Defence Land Audit is carried out. In addition the Government
has constituted a Committee to inter alia suggest ways to optimise use of
Defence land.
This information
was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Vivek
Gupta in
Rajya Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ