Lok Sabha Question No. 181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Encroachment on Defence Lands
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: S. Gnanathiraviam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 181

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 nd  February, 2024

## ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LANDS

## 181. SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S.:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

(a)  the  details  of  the  defence  land  under  encroachment  in  the  country,  location  and State/UTwise including Tamil Nadu;

(b) the reasons for not removing encroachments from defence land;

(c)  whether  these  encroachments  are  made  with  the  connivance  of  the  authorities  of  the concerned State;

- (d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to do away with these irregularities and illegalities?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

## MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI AJAY BHATT) IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(a):  Out of around 18 lakh acres of defence land across the country, about 10,319 acres is under encroachment. The State-wise details of encroachment on defence land including the State of Tamil Nadu is enclosed as Annexure.

(b):  Detection, prevention and removal of encroachment is a continuous exercise. Action for removal of encroachments on defence land is taken under the provisions of Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 as well as under the Cantonments Act, 2006.

(c)  &  (d):    No,  Sir.  No  connivance  of  State  Government  authorities  has  been  reported  in encroachment on defence land. However, certain defence lands are under occupation of some State Government Agencies for offices or public utilities.

(e):  Following steps are taken by the Government to protect defence land from encroachment:-

- (i) Regular inspection of Defence Lands is carried out by the concerned offices and they are required to submit annual certificates as per rules.

- (ii) As and when encroachments are detected, they are removed by carrying out anti-encroachment drives after following due process of law in close coordination with police authorities and district administration.
- (iii) Defence land records have been digitized.
- (iv) A  Land  Management  System  has  been  put  in  place  wherein  GIS  layers  of encroachments have been developed which provide information on encroachment over a period and helps in preventing fresh encroachments.
- (v) Defence Land Audit has been institutionalized from 2011-12 as a continuing process.
- (vi) A methodology for evaluating 'Threat' of encroachment on defence land has been devised. Based on threat value, steps to be taken by the concerned officers have been communicated to the field offices.
- (vii) Government has allocated funds for construction of boundary wall / fences / pillars around the certain vulnerable defence land pockets.

*****

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 181 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2024 REGARDING 'ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LANDS'

## Total Defence land under encroachment

|   Sl. No. | State/UT                |   Area (in acres) |
|-----------|-------------------------|-------------------|
|         1 | Adaman& Nicobar Islands |           24.07   |
|         2 | Andhra Pradesh          |           52.7965 |
|         3 | Arunachal Pradesh       |           77.985  |
|         4 | Assam                   |          462.313  |
|         5 | Bihar                   |          589.648  |
|         6 | Chattisgarh             |           75.9    |
|         7 | Delhi                   |          147.575  |
|         8 | Goa                     |            5.1166 |
|         9 | Gujarat                 |          212.75   |
|        10 | Haryana                 |          793.409  |
|        11 | Himachal Pradesh        |           59.7369 |
|        12 | Jharkhand               |          302.522  |
|        13 | Karnataka               |          152.374  |
|        14 | Kerala                  |            2.617  |
|        15 | Lakshadweep             |            0.08   |
|        16 | Madhya Pradesh          |         1643.68   |
|        17 | Maharashtra             |         1022.57   |
|        18 | Manipur                 |            5.6478 |
|        19 | Meghalaya               |           13.3402 |
|        20 | Mizoram                 |            0.003  |
|        21 | Nagaland                |          356.1    |
|        22 | Odisha                  |           50.935  |
|        23 | Punjab                  |          451.108  |
|        24 | Rajasthan               |          478.128  |
|        25 | Sikkim                  |           64.844  |
|        26 | Tamil Nadu              |          153.621  |
|        27 | Telangana               |           95.2236 |
|        28 | Uttar Pradesh           |         1796.57   |
|        29 | Uttrakhand              |           68.2916 |
|        30 | Jammu& Kashmir          |          314.169  |
|        31 | Ladakh                  |           29.581  |
|        32 | West Bengal             |          816.048  |

*****