Two acres of defence land near Delhi airport freed of encroachment, second drive in fortnight
Nearly two acres of land near Terminal 1D of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was cleared of encroachments on Friday in an operation led by the Defence Estates Office, said officials. This was the second such large-scale drive in the area in two weeks.
Last week, a similar action was carried out to remove illegal parking and unauthorised occupations from one acre of defence land in Mehram Nagar in Delhi Cantonment.
On Friday, the land that was illegally occupied for years was freed of encroachment, said officials, adding that the initiative aims to free prime defence land from unlawful occupation and utilise it in the national interest.
Varun Kalia, Defence Estates Officer, Delhi Circle, stated, 'Safeguarding defence land is not just about preserving a territory but about upholding national security. Encroachments on Defence land are silent threats to national security, and strict action will continue against all encroachers. The reclaimed land will be used in the national interest.'
The action was carried out with the support of the Delhi Cantonment Board, the local military authorities and the Delhi Police.
During Friday's operation, officials from the Defence Estates Office, Delhi Circle, also removed longstanding unauthorised parking zones and impounded a significant number of vehicles. The operation also involved the removal of numerous small and large slums as well as illegal animal shelters that had been occupying the land.
The current estimated value of this defence land is close to Rs 100 crore. The government intends to use the freed land for defence and military purposes, as there is a constant demand for land from the government and defence organisations.
The Ministry of Defence is the largest land-owning government body with nearly 17.5 lakh acres of land spread across the country. 'Safeguarding these lands paves the way for strategic and operational readiness of forces,' stated the Defence Estate office's Delhi Circle unit.
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