New Delhi: In a significant revelation before the Supreme Court, the Central Government has reported that 2,024 acres of defence land have been illegally encroached upon by individuals across the country. The update came through an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Defence, as part of an ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2014 by NGO Common Cause.
The affidavit underscores a broader concern over the misuse of defence land, particularly by individuals and former agricultural lessees who continued occupation even after lease expiry. The total land under the Defence Estates Organisation (DEO) stands at 75,629 acres—52,899 acres within cantonments and 22,730 acres outside them.
Defence Land Faces Rampant Misuse
Out of the total area, the Centre stated that 1,575 acres remain occupied by former lessees without any legal entitlement. In addition, around 819 acres are currently used by central and state government departments for public-utility services such as schools, roads, bus stands, and parks.
Representing the government, Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi—that active steps are underway to recover these illegally held parcels.
The Defence Ministry has already reclaimed 1,715 acres over the past ten years, with 220 acres recovered in the current year alone—an outcome of advanced digital tracking systems and greater administrative coordination.
Tech-Led Evictions and Structural Challenges
In a notable move, the Ministry introduced an Encroachment Module under a real-time Digital Record Management System developed by the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE). A new committee has also been constituted to monitor the eviction process and coordinate recovery efforts.
Other key measures include:
- Fencing and building boundary walls on sensitive plots
- Negotiations with state governments for land exchange deals
- Enhanced survey and mapping with technological tools
Despite these advances, the Centre acknowledged several persistent roadblocks. These include delays caused by judicial stay orders, lack of police and magistrate presence during eviction drives, and procedural bottlenecks in ground-level implementation.
Supreme Court Flags Larger Concern
The Supreme Court, which has been closely monitoring the issue, expressed alarm over irregular allotments of defence land to private parties in earlier hearings. The court even hinted at forming a probe committee to investigate alleged collusion between land mafias and defence estate officials—some of whom reportedly enabled the construction of lavish bungalows and commercial complexes inside cantonment zones.
The apex court has now granted the Centre two months to file a fresh status report detailing the functioning of the newly constituted eviction committee and progress on recovery actions.
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