Over 1,540 Acres Of Defence Land Encroached In West Bengal, Centre Tells Parliament
Notably, 2.37 acre of this encroached land is near Barrackpore, while the Jalapahar and Lebong cantonments in Darjeeling remain free from encroachment.
The Ministry of Defence has raised an alarm by informing the Rajya Sabha that over 1,540 acres of defence land in West Bengal is currently under encroachment, posing a threat to critical military infrastructure in the state. This disclosure is likely to trigger political disputes between the BJP-led Centre and the TMC-led state government.
Responding to BJP MP and newly appointed state president Samik Bhattacharya's unstarred question (No. 842), Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth revealed that out of 43,493 acres of defence land in West Bengal, 1,540.85 acre is encroached. Notably, 2.37 acre of this encroached land is near Barrackpore, while the Jalapahar and Lebong cantonments in Darjeeling remain free from encroachment.
The government recognises the ongoing challenge of encroachment on defence lands, describing it as a 'continuous exercise" to stop it. To address this issue, the Ministry has implemented several measures, including regular inspections, annual report submissions, anti-encroachment drives in coordination with police and district authorities, digitisation of defence land records, and GIS mapping of encroachments.
A methodology for assessing the 'Threat" of encroachment on defence land has been developed. Based on the threat value, specific actions have been communicated to field officers, as stated by the Defence Minister.
The data underscores the increasing pressure on defence land in urban and semi-urban areas, which are high-risk zones due to civilian activity around military land. The government's detailed response suggests an urgent need to secure these areas amid rising land scarcity and encroachment attempts.
With ongoing controversies over alleged illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltration and the Election Commission's SIR hotly debated in Bengal, this revelation is likely to add a new dimension to the state's political discourse.
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