THE PROPERTY MAFIA

ORGANISED STEALING OF LAND OWNED BY THE ARMED FORCES BY LAND SHARKS IN CONNIVANCE WITH CORRUPT OFFICIALS ENDANGERS NATIONAL SECURITY

- Pradip R. Sagar

In February 2024, Colonel Anuj Antal, the administrative commandant of the army cantonment in the border town of Ferozepur, Punjab, wrote to then governor Banwarilal Purohit, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry and the registration of an FIR against district revenue officials for forging records pertaining to 15 acres of land belonging to the military. His allegation: that the piece of land outside the cantonment known as Jahaz Ground-once an emergency airfield for the Indian Air Force (IAF) used as camouflaging ground for weaponry during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars-had been sold off to private individuals, compromising security near the India-Pakistan border. This is not an isolated incident, across India, land owned by the armed forces-spread across prime locations and worth crores of rupees-has been grabbed by real estate mafias with the alleged involvement of local officials, military personnel and bureaucrats within the ministry of defence (MoD). Indeed, the situation is dire: according to the Centre, an estimated 10,354 acres of defence land is being illegally encroached upon or sold off in fraudulent deals.

The armed forces own 17.31 lakh acres of land across India. Among the three services, the army owns the largest share of 13.79 lakh acres-around 80 per cent. Two lakh acres of defence land is inside 61 cantonments. Outside the cantonments, 15.3 lakh acres are used as army and IAF stations, naval bases, DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) labs, firing ranges and camping grounds.