Lok Sabha Question No. 3138 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Encroachment on Defence Land
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Shri Saumitra Khan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCDE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3138

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th  August, 2024

## ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LAND

## 3138 SHRI SAUMITRA KHAN:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  defence  land  under  encroachment  in  the  country,  location-wise  and State/UT-wise including West Bengal;
- (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  remove  these  irregularities  and illegalities?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI SANJAY SETH)

(a):  Out of around 18 lakh acres of defence land across the country, about 10354 acres is under encroachment.  The State-wise details of encroachment on defence land including the State of West Bengal is enclosed as Annexure.

- (b):  Detection, prevention and removal of encroachment is a continuous exercise. Action for removal  of  encroachment  on  defence  land  is  taken  under  the  provision  of  Public  Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 as well as under the Cantonment Acts, 2006.
- (c) & (d):  No, Sir. No connivance of the State Government authorities has been reported in encroachment of defence land.  However, certain defence land 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 antiencroachment 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) An encroachment module has been enabled in February 2020 on DGDE website for reporting encroachments on defence land by the general public.
- (viii) Government has allocated funds for construction of boundary wall / fences / pillars around the certain vulnerable defence land pockets.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3138 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2024 REGARDING 'ENCROACHMENT ON DEFENCE LAND'.

| Sl. No.   | State / UT               |   Area (in acre) |
|-----------|--------------------------|------------------|
| 1         | Andaman& Nicobar Islands |          24.07   |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh           |          49.0215 |
| 3         | Arunanchal               |          77.985  |
| 4         | Assam                    |         462.313  |
| 5         | Bihar                    |         529.548  |
| 6         | Chhattisgarh             |          75.9    |
| 7         | Delhi                    |         147.575  |
| 8         | Goa                      |           5.1166 |
| 9         | Gujarat                  |         212.85   |
| 10        | Haryana                  |         780.009  |
| 11        | Himachal Pradesh         |          59.5369 |
| 12        | Jharkhand                |         302.522  |
| 13        | Karnataka                |         168.474  |
| 14        | Kerala                   |           1.717  |
| 15        | Lakshadweep              |           0.08   |
| 16        | Madhya Pradesh           |        1757.98   |
| 17        | Maharashtra              |        1031.02   |
| 18        | Manipur                  |           5.6478 |
| 19        | Meghalaya                |          13.3402 |
| 20        | Mizoram                  |           0.003  |
| 21        | Nagaland                 |         356.1    |
| 22        | Odisha                   |          50.935  |
| 23        | Punjab                   |         451.007  |
| 24        | Rajasthan                |         478.128  |
| 25        | Sikkim                   |          64.844  |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu               |         153.321  |
| 27        | Telangana                |          97.1986 |
| 28        | Uttar Pradesh            |        1778.92   |
| 29        | Uttarakhand              |          61.3916 |
| 30        | UT of J&K                |         311.869  |
| 31        | UT of Ladakh             |          29.581  |
| 32        | West Bengal              |         816.048  |
|           | Total                    |       10354      |

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