Lok Sabha Question No. 3711 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Accidental Deaths in Firing Range
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3711

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 th  December, 2019

## ACCIDENTAL DEATHS IN FIRING RANGE

## 3711. SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE j{kk ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the area of land in possession of the Ministry of Defence in various States of the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether the monetary compensation to the people of Tamulpur Digtilipar village located in Baksa district of Assam for acquisition of their land has not been given and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of persons killed in firing range located at Tamulpur Patkijuli so far and  whether  any  compensation  has  been  given  for  the  people  who  died  and  the amount of assistance paid to the people who got injured;
- (d) whether any provision has been made to check the recurrence of such incidents in the Tamulpur Patkijuli located firing range and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether there is any proposal for revival of Army airport at the Baksa district and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the total number of Army regiment existing in the country including the details of their slogans and the location of their headquarters?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

रक्षा राज्य मंत्री

( श्री श्रीपाद नाईक )

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- (a)    Total  area  measuring  1757031.89  acres  is  in  possession  of  the  Ministry  of Defence (MoD)  all over country. The State /UT wise details of said land is enclosed as Annexure .

(b)  As per Military Land Register maintained by DEO Tezpur, area measuring 53.021 acres  (Private-2.066+1.266)  +(Sarkari-49.689)  under  village  Kalakuchi  and  Bilapar, District-  Baksa (earlier Nalbari district) was acquired during the  year 1987, 1991 & 1996 on payment of acquisition compensation to the DC concerned.

Further, Private land measuring 38.608 acres in District Baksa is held by the MoD  under  hiring.    The  rentals  are  being  paid  to  the  land  owners  through  Civil Revenue Authority.

(c)    As  per  details  held,  total  number  of  civil  persons  killed  and  injured  (since notification, i.e., last 53 years) of Field Firing range are as under:-

- (a) Killed - 21.
- (b) Injured- 19.

All the above cases of death/injury have been thoroughly investigated by the Army and it has been found that in all cases that accidents resulting in death/injury are because  of  civilians  illegally  entering  the  range  during  firing,  without  informing police,  civil  administration  or  army  units.  Therefore,  the  civilians  are  not  liable  to claim compensation.

All  possible  humanitarian  assistance,  however,  is  given  by  the  Army  to  the injured/killed  persons  by  means  of  first  aid,  shifting  to  the  nearest  hospital  and assistance for conduct of last rites.

(d)  As per Section Ten of Maneuvers, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938, the responsibility for ensuring that no unauthorized persons enter the danger zone lies with civil administration. Being a notified field firing range the following measures are in place & strictly ensured by the Army:

(i)  The civil administration and Police are informed about the firing schedule every Quarter (well in advance) in writing. In addition, units also intimate date and  time of Firing practice to Police  prior  to  commencement.  Written intimation is also given to Gaonburahs of villages adjoining the range. Written clearances  from  Police  Outpost  at  Darrangamela  and  Forest  Range  Officer, Kumarikata (Baksa District) are also obtained.

(ii)  Announcements over Mega Phone warning locals about conduct of firing are  made  prior  to  commencement.  Presence  of  Police  representative  during conduct of firing is ensured.

(iii)  Notice  boards  (written  in  English,  Hindi,  Assamese  &  Bodo  language) warning  public  against  entry  into  the  firing  range,  have  been  erected  at  all prominent  locations  around  the  range,  Red  flags  are  placed  during  firing  at important places indicating the boundary of area within which firing is taking place. Sentries are posted at all road/track junctions and Entry posts to prevent unauthorized entry of civilians/domestic animals.

(iv)  No firing is permitted beyond the time  intimated to the locals. No firing practices  are  carried  out  at  night  without  intimation.  All  blinds/unexploded shells/ Ammunition are destroyed in-situ before vacating the range.

(e)  No proposal has been received by DEO Tezpur regarding revival of Army Airport at Baksa.

(f)  The total number of Army regiments existing in the country is 52.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3711 FOR ANSWER ON 11.12.2019 REGARDING 'ACCIDENTAL DEATHS IN FIRING RANGE'.

## State/UT-wise details of Defence land in the country

| Sr. No.   | State/UT            |   Area (in acres) |
|-----------|---------------------|-------------------|
| 1.        | Andaman And Nicobar |    8166.39        |
| 2.        | Andhra Pradesh      |   39735           |
| 3.        | Arunachal Pradesh   |    4787.39        |
| 4.        | Assam               |   25493.3         |
| 5.        | Bihar               |   11925.4         |
| 6.        | Chandigarh          |     176.25        |
| 7.        | Chattisgarh         |    1582.41        |
| 8.        | Delhi               |   11628.5         |
| 9.        | Goa                 |    3025.58        |
| 10.       | Gujarat             |   25002.9         |
| 11.       | Haryana             |   37211.4         |
| 12.       | Himachal Pradesh    |    8096.65        |
| 13.       | Jammu And Kashmir   |   22338.5         |
| 14.       | Jharkhand           |    7713.62        |
| 15.       | Karnataka           |   33124.7         |
| 16.       | Kerala              |    5279.4         |
| 17.       | Lakshadweep         |      39.85        |
| 18.       | Madhya Pradesh      |  231074           |
| 19.       | Maharashtra         |  138834           |
| 20.       | Manipur             |    1294.41        |
| 21.       | Meghalaya           |    4029.74        |
| 22.       | Mizoram             |       0.21        |
| 23.       | Nagaland            |     551.28        |
| 24.       | Orissa              |   18015.7         |
| 25.       | Pondicherry         |      20.38        |
| 26.       | Punjab              |   78327.4         |
| 27.       | Rajasthan           |  821187           |
| 28.       | Sikkim              |    3078.07        |
| 29.       | Tamil Nadu          |   21202           |
| 30.       | Tripura             |    2679.51        |
| 31.       | Uttaranchal         |   27168.1         |
| 32.       | Uttar Pradesh       |  123288           |
| 33.       | West Bengal         |   40955.7         |
| Total     |                     |       1.75703e+06 |

*****