New Delhi Feb 10 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that clear demarcation of defence land will prove to be crucial for security purpose. The Defence Minister made the statement after giving away awards to the personnel of Defence Estates for their contribution in the successful completion of survey of 17.78 lakh acres of defence land using modern technologies. Terming the survey as historic he exuded confidence that the accuracy of the measurement of land and the reliable records born out of the survey will save considerable amount of energy, money and time that goes into resolving land disputes. Awards were given to 11 officers and 24 personnel of 38 Defence Estates Offices and four Assistant Defence Estates Offices. The Defence Minister also lauded Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) for using drone imagery, satellite imagery and 3D modelling techniques in such a survey for the first time, which, he said, has made the results even more accurate and reliable. The Minister also highlighted the important role played by cantonment areas in the socio-economic and cultural development of the country. “Today, when the government proposes an allocation of Rs 173 crore in its budget for the construction of boundaries on defence land, it does not only mean financial grant, it also symbolises our commitment to save and develop the cantonment areas. In this context, this survey was extremely important,” he added. As per the records maintained by the Defence Estates Office, Ministry of Defence owns about 17.99 lakh acres of land, out of which 1.61 lakh acres of land is located within 62 notified cantonments across the country. The Defence Estates Organisation is responsible for the management of defence lands and the municipal administration of 62 cantonments with a population of about two million. Rajnath Singh also launched an e-chhawani webinar. Representatives of 27 municipal corporations of 13 states and 62 cantonment boards are taking part in the day-long webinar.
