Defence ministry confirms defence land and encroachment in Bengal
The Statesman | 29 July 2025
The state BJP today expressed grave concern over the encroachment of the defence land in several parts of Bengal. BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya said that the defence ministry today confirmed that more than 1,500 acres of defence land in West Bengal have been encroached upon, including areas in and around key military installations.
Responding to a query raised by him in the Rajya Sabha, Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth said that of the total 43,493 acres of defence land in the state, approximately 1,540.85 acres were under encroachment. While specific concerns were raised about encroachments near strategic cantonments such as Barrackpore, Jalapahar, and Lebong, the ministry clarified that only 2.37 acres were encroached in Barrackpore, and no encroachments had been reported in Jalapahar or Lebong.
Mr Bhattacharya also questioned the status of the 1,000-acre Kolkata Maidan, a prime defence land parcel in the heart of the city, highlighting “persistent encroachment attempts” and challenges in safeguarding the land. In response, the defence ministry said it had implemented several measures to curb encroachments. These include regular land inspections, digitisation of records, the use of GIS technology to track encroachment, and the institutionalisation of defence land audits since 2011. The ministry also cited the activation of an online reporting module in 2020 for the public to flag encroachments, and ongoing coordination with police and local administrations to remove unauthorized occupants under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971 and the Cantonments Act, 2006. Funds have also been allocated for the construction of boundary walls, fences, and demarcation pillars around vulnerable defence land zones, the minister added.