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Army wakes up to act tough against builders mafia
After years of laxity, army is finally waking up to threat to cantonment land posed by builders mafia and illegal encroachers muscling in, specially in prime urban areas in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
After years of laxity, army is finally waking up to threat to cantonment land posed by
builders mafia and illegal encroachers muscling in, specially in prime urban areas in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
After a recent official study revealed that a staggering over six thousand hectares of prime cantonment land was in illegal occupation, the government is now arming itself to act by bringing in comprehensive amendments to the Cantonment Act.
The amendments, defence ministry officials said, will seek to empower the cantonment administration to deal with the removal of encroachers and to secure adequate coordination between cantonment administration, state governments and state police for clearing occupied defence land.
The officials said major encroachment was in prime urban areas in Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Meerut, Bangalore and other such areas where land prices had recently skyrocketed.
With the major metropolitan centres spreading fast, city centres in New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have now almost stretched right upto cantonment areas, which have thus become extremely lucrative to builders, officials said.
Bureau Report
The amendments, defence ministry officials said, will seek to empower the cantonment administration to deal with the removal of encroachers and to secure adequate coordination between cantonment administration, state governments and state police for clearing occupied defence land.
The officials said major encroachment was in prime urban areas in Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Meerut, Bangalore and other such areas where land prices had recently skyrocketed.
With the major metropolitan centres spreading fast, city centres in New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have now almost stretched right upto cantonment areas, which have thus become extremely lucrative to builders, officials said.
Bureau Report