Defence ministry may set up land regulator

The defence ministry plans to set up an independent land regulator and conduct a land audit as part of its internal reforms process. The ministry holds around 1.73 million acre of land. The trigger for these initiatives is the recent Adarsh housing society scam and other land-related irregularities that have come to light.

Defence Ministry sources told Business Standard: “The issue was discussed last week at a parliamentary consultative committee meeting chaired by Defence Minister A K Anthony. There is unanimity within the ministry on setting up an independent land regulator.”

However, the ministry feels greater clarity is required on such a regulator’s duties and responsibilities. It also wants to know how the regulator will be different from the directorate-general of defence estates (DGDE), whose job it is to manage defence land on behalf of the ministry.

According to sources, the defence ministry may seek opinion from the law ministry and other stakeholders before creating an independent regulatory set-up.

Furthermore, the ministry argues that an independent regulator would be helpful when multiple players operate in the market and the government itself is a player.

“Currently, DGDE is a single player performing the state’s function,” sources reiterated. DGDE provides critical and advisory inputs to the various defence services as well as to the ministry in formulating policies, rules and regulations on the management of defence lands and cantonment administration all over India.  

LAND LORD
Wing	Land holding  (acre)
Army	1,379,000
Air Force	151,000
Navy	37,000
DG estates	68,000
DRDO/ord	96,000
Total	1,731 ,000

On conducting a land audit, ministry sources recalled that the last one was conducted in 1992-93 by DGDE in a limited manner.

As a result, the parliamentary standing committee on defence at a recent meeting stressed the need to conduct a fresh comprehensive audit.

Verification and accounting of defence land would establish if all defence property is clearly surveyed and demarcated, revenue records are available, and is clearly recorded in the military lands register.

“The land audit would also reveal the state of computerisation of land records. For this purpose, the ministry plans to equip DGDE with modern surveying equipment and necessary staff, vehicles and other resources,” a source said.