Lok Sabha Question No. 4913 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: Encroachment on Defence Land
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Rajendra Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4913

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 st  March, 2023

## ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LAND

## 4913. SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government is aware of the unauthorized construction and poor management of the leased land under Defence Estate Organization Management during the last two years;
- (b)  if so, the number of such cases identified/reported during the last two years along with area of Defence land held by encroachers in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (c)  the number of encroachers penalized in such cases; and
- (d)  the details of the mechanism evolved by the Government to save the Defence land from unauthorized construction?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

## MINISTER OF STATE

IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

- (a)  &  (b):    The  Defence  Estates  Organisation  manages  defence  land  as  per  existing  land policy and  related guidelines / rules. There  is strict vigil to prevent  unauthorised constructions/  encroachments  on  defence  land.  The  State  /  UT  wise  details  of  such unauthorised  constructions/encroachments,  identified  /  reported  on  defence  land  in  the country,  during  the  last  two  financial  years  (w.e.f.  01.04.2020  to  31.03.2022)  and  current year till date (upto 26.03.2023) are enclosed as Annexure-A.
- (c):    The  State/UT  wise  number  of  such  cases  in  which  the  unauthorised  construction  / encroachments have been removed and the number of encroachers penalized during the last two  financial  years  (w.e.f.  01.04.2020  to  31.03.2022)  and  current  year  till  date  (upto 26.03.2023 are enclosed as Annexure-B.
- (d): The following steps have been taken to prevent unauthorized constructions/ encroachments on defence land: -
- (i) Regular inspection of Defence Lands is carried out by the concerned offices and they are submitting annual certificates as per rules.
- (ii) Defence land records have been digitized.
- (iii) A  Land  Management  System  has  been  put  in  place  wherein  GIS  layers  of encroachments have been developed which provide information on encroachments over a period of time and helps in preventing fresh encroachments.

(SHRI AJAY BHATT)

- (iv) Defence  land  Audit  has  been  institutionalized  since  the  year  2011-12  as  a continuing process. The land audit for the year 2019-20 & 2020-21 has been completed and report for the year 2020-21 has been published.
- (v) A 'Change detection GIS tool' has been developed which provides details of encroachment over a given span of period. This tool ensures that legal action is taken against all such encroachments.
- (vi) A methodology for evaluating 'Threat' of encroachment on defence land has been devised. Government has allocated funds to DGDE for construction of Boundary  Walls/  Fences/  Pillars  around  defence  land  pockets  prone  to encroachments based on threat matrix.

*****

## ANNEXURE-A REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4913 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.03.2023 REGARDING 'ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LAND'.

State/UT  wise  details  of  defence  land  under  Unauthorised  Constructions  &  Encroachments, under the management of Defence Estates Organisation during the period 01.04.2020 to till date:-

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT      |   Area under unauthorised construction & encroachments on defence land w.e.f. 01.04.2020-till date Area (in acres) |
|-----------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andaman &Nicobar (UT) |                                                                                                              0     |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh        |                                                                                                             31.521 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh     |                                                                                                              0     |
| 4         | Assam                 |                                                                                                              0     |
| 5         | Bihar                 |                                                                                                             61.211 |
| 6         | CG                    |                                                                                                             57.601 |
| 7         | Delhi                 |                                                                                                             40.285 |
| 8         | Goa                   |                                                                                                              0     |
| 9         | Gujarat               |                                                                                                              0.605 |
| 10        | Haryana               |                                                                                                             13.876 |
| 11        | HP                    |                                                                                                              2.861 |
| 12        | Jharkhand             |                                                                                                              0.5   |
| 13        | Karnataka             |                                                                                                              6.161 |
| 14        | Kerala                |                                                                                                              0.032 |
| 15        | Madhya Pradesh        |                                                                                                             11.299 |
| 16        | Maharashtra           |                                                                                                            123.269 |
| 17        | Manipur               |                                                                                                              0     |
| 18        | Meghalaya             |                                                                                                              0.386 |
| 19        | Mizoram               |                                                                                                              0     |
| 20        | Nagaland              |                                                                                                              0     |
| 21        | Odisha                |                                                                                                              0     |
| 22        | Punjab                |                                                                                                             14.435 |
| 23        | Rajasthan             |                                                                                                              0.051 |
| 24        | Sikkim                |                                                                                                              0     |
| 25        | Tamil Nadu            |                                                                                                             60.293 |
| 26        | Telangana             |                                                                                                              0.362 |
| 27        | Tripura               |                                                                                                              0     |
| 28        | UT of J&K             |                                                                                                              5.57  |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh         |                                                                                                            203.47  |
| 30        | Uttarakhand           |                                                                                                              3.17  |
| 31        | West Bengal           |                                                                                                            233.963 |
|           | Grand Total           |                                                                                                            870.92  |

*****

## ANNEXURE-B REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4913 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.03.2023 REGARDING 'ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LAND'.

State/UT-wise area/extent of Defence land under the management of Defence Estates Organisation from  which  unauthorised  constructions  &  encroachment  have  been  removed  during  the  period 01.04.2020 to till date: -

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT      |   Area/extent of unauthorised constructions &encroachments removed w.e.f. 01.04.2020-till date Area (in acres) |   No. of persons against which action taken under Cantt Act, 2006 and PPE Act, 1971 |
|-----------|-----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andaman &Nicobar (UT) |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh        |                                                                                                        0.7155  |                                                                                  32 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh     |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 4         | Assam                 |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 5         | Bihar                 |                                                                                                        4.4506  |                                                                                 709 |
| 6         | CG                    |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 7         | Delhi                 |                                                                                                        1.5     |                                                                                   0 |
| 8         | Goa                   |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 9         | Gujarat               |                                                                                                        0.2754  |                                                                                   1 |
| 10        | Haryana               |                                                                                                       36.4753  |                                                                                  13 |
| 11        | HP                    |                                                                                                       19.7741  |                                                                                  15 |
| 12        | Jharkhand             |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                  52 |
| 13        | Karnataka             |                                                                                                        0.0367  |                                                                                   1 |
| 14        | Kerala                |                                                                                                        0.0185  |                                                                                   0 |
| 15        | Madhya Pradesh        |                                                                                                       30.4357  |                                                                                 203 |
| 16        | Maharashtra           |                                                                                                        0.45031 |                                                                                  36 |
| 17        | Manipur               |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 18        | Meghalaya             |                                                                                                        0.10216 |                                                                                   7 |
| 19        | Mizoram               |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 20        | Nagaland              |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 21        | Odisha                |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 22        | Punjab                |                                                                                                        8.36386 |                                                                                  44 |
| 23        | Rajasthan             |                                                                                                        1.7949  |                                                                                   1 |
| 24        | Sikkim                |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 25        | Tamil Nadu            |                                                                                                        2.3704  |                                                                                   6 |
| 26        | Telangana             |                                                                                                        0.0173  |                                                                                   2 |
| 27        | Tripura               |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                   0 |
| 28        | UT of J&K             |                                                                                                        0.029   |                                                                                   1 |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh         |                                                                                                      326.113   |                                                                                1041 |
| 30        | Uttarakhand           |                                                                                                        0.1537  |                                                                                   9 |
| 31        | West Bengal           |                                                                                                        0       |                                                                                 266 |
|           | Grand Total           |                                                                                                      433.077   |                                                                                2439 |