Disclosing this during the Defence Estates Day Celebrations here last night, the Director General of Defence Estates Shri Ravi Kant Chopra assured the august gathering that all defence holdings would be physically surveyed and mapped before the end of the next year.
He informed that the work of digitization of land records has been completed by 44 out of 99 field offices. In respect of the remaining 55 offices, work has been completed to the extent of 65-75%.
Shri Chopra said that with land survey, digitization of land records and inventorization of all files, the Department aims to create a comprehensive institutional memory, both in paper and electronic formats, which shall keep track of every event in relation to defence lands.
He said that on the direction of the Defence Minister, Shri A K Antony, all Cantonment Boards have fixed time limits for resolution of various types of complaints and also launched a grievance redressal system called ‘Samadhan’ to make the administration more responsive and accountable.
Shri Chopra also informed that a Draft of Defence Land Bill, to provide statutory cover to defence lands outside Cantonments, has also been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Defence.
He said that last year the Defence Minister had exhorted the Estates department by saying “if the responsibility of the Armed Forces is to protect the territorial boundaries of our nation, then it is the duty of the Defence Estates Department to protect the defence lands within the country”.
Spurred by this exhortation, the department is dedicated to the tasks which would lead to effective protection of defence lands.
