The Defence forces require large areas of land for training, ranges, depots, airfields, quartering, camping, offices etc for military activities. Ministry of Defence, therefore, owns large tracts of land of approx 17.95 lakh acres, out of which approximately 1.60 lakh acres is situated within the 62 notified Cantonments and about 16.35 lakh acres is outside these Cantonments. The responsibility of day-to-day management of land is with the user services.
Functions and duties of Lands Division
DGDE helps framing of policies and instructions on all land matters including the following. It also ensures their implementation.
- Resumption of certain class of defence lands with or without buildings situated in Cantonments
- Mutation of Old grant / lease-hold properties.
- Conversion of old grant / lease-hold properties situated in Civil area/Bazar area of Cantt. into freehold.
- Transfer/Disposal of surplus Camping Grounds/Abandoned Air Fields.
- Disposal of usufructs on Defence land
- Reclassification of Land
- Renewal of Leases/Licences
- Grant of fresh leases
- Permission for sanction of building plans on lease-hold properties
- Grant of temporary license for organizing exhibition, etc. on vacant defence land
- Prevention, detection and removal of encroachments
- Licensing of sites for advertisement hoardings on defence lands