Antony asks DGDE to conduct reality check of defence land

New Delhi, July 14 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony has directed the Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) to immediately conduct a reality check on ground to determine the status of defence land all over the country.

Announcing this at a function here last evening, Antony said the proposed land audit would go a long way in tightening land management control system.

He informed that the land audit will cover a wide spectrum of issues including updation of land records; survey, demarcation and protection of defence lands by way of erection of boundary pillars.

In the first phase, DGDE will carry out land audit in the Southern Command from the current financial year, he said.

Antony also asked Defence Estate officials to be vigilant against encroachments on defence lands and foil any attempts by unscrupulous elements to fraudulently claim some pieces of defence land as theirs.

"While ensuring that defence lands are protected from unauthorized occupation or illegal claims, it is also your responsibility to ensure that no public land is occupied in an unauthorized manner without following due procedures", PIB release quoted him, as saying.

Antony also asked the officials to pursue vigorously title disputes in courts with all sincerity.

"As land is a precious and rare commodity, title disputes in courts must be vigorously pursued to the correct and logical conclusion," he added.

Antony also informed that MoD had taken a decision to guard strategically located installations such as defence lands, camping grounds and old airfields by nearby military units.

"In cases where this may not be possible, sufficient resources would be placed with the Defence Estates Department to look after them," he said. (ANI)