Encroachment of IAF land: HC sets up probe panel

Taking strong note of alleged encroachment of nearly 500 acres of "valuable" land acquired for India Air Force on Delhi's outskirts, Allahabad High Court has constituted a four-member team to look into the matter.
Observing that it appeared that the land acquired for IAF bombing range in Gautam Buddh Nagar district was being dealt by "unscrupulous third parties", the court voiced unhappiness over non-availability of land records and remarked how it "can vanish into thin air defies explanation and stretches the limits of credulousness".
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhananjay Yeshwant Chandrachud and Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta on May 19 on a PIL filed by Noida-based social activist Ajit Singh.

Singh had sought to draw the court's attention towards encroachment on the land acquired over six decades ago for a firing and bombing range of the IAF from villages located in the district adjoining Delhi.
The land - measuring 482 acres - was acquired from Nagli Nagla and Nagli Sagpur villages on November 23, 1950.
The villages were at that time part of the Bulandshahr district and the order of acquisition was passed by the Tehsildar of Sikandrabad.

The court constituted a team comprising a nominee of the Commanding Officer of the IAF at Hindon Station "not below the rank of Group Captain", the Defence Estates Officer, Delhi Circle, the Director, Survey of India, Lucknow and the Collector and District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar.

The court asked the Chairman of the Board of Revenue in Uttar Pradesh to "ensure that all necessary cooperation is extended to the Committee in locating records and maps and making available all necessary information and material that would be required to pursue and protect the interest of the Indian Air Force".
Fixing July 28 as the next date of hearing in the matter, the court asked the Defence Estates Officer to file his affidavit apprising the court "of the further progress that has been made".
The court also expressed displeasure over the fact that "revenue authorities of the state have conveniently taken the stand that maps and records pertaining to the land are not available".

"Until this court was compelled to intervene in the present proceedings on the basis of the PIL, the matter had merely rested in an exchange of correspondence between the Defence Estates Officer and the authorities of the state."
"As a result of this sorry state of affairs, land which has been acquired for the benefit of the IAF, it appears, has been permitted to be dealt with by unscrupulous third parties to the detriment of the defence forces," the court lamented.
Observing that the material placed on record indicated that the land acquired "against the payment of compensation has been allowed to be frittered away", the court remarked, "How land acquired for bombing range for the IAF can vanish into thin air defies explanation and stretches the limits of credulousness".