No gatekeeper for 72,000 acres of prime defence land in Pune

Pune: The absence of a full-time defence estates officer (DEO) for Pune since July 2025 has led to concerns among defence officials, cantonment activists and residents over delays in critical land and administrative decisions.The Pune circle is among the most significant formations under the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE), as it serves as the custodian of land records for nearly 72,000 acres of prime defence land across Maharashtra in the Army's Southern Command.These include key cantonment areas such as Pune, Khadki, Dehuroad, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad, apart from additional land parcels spread across Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.Despite the scale and sensitivity of responsibilities, the post has remained vacant for over eight months, with no official explanation from the DGDE or the Principal Directorate of Defence Estates (Southern Command), under which the Pune circle functions.C Ravindra, the principal director of PDDE (Southern Command), did not respond to TOI's phone calls and text messages on the matter at the time of going to press.A senior DGDE official from New Delhi told TOI, "This is an administrative decision and an officer has been appointed as the DEO. However, the charge has not been taken yet." However, the officer refused to comment on the delay in appointment.The last full-time DEO, Vidyadhar Pawar, was reassigned in July 2025 after taking over as chief executive officer of the Pune Cantonment Board. Since then, the responsibilities of the DEO have reportedly been handled as an additional charge by another officer, a stop-gap arrangement that stakeholders say is affecting efficiency.Defence officials, Army authorities and local activists pointed out that the absence of a dedicated officer at the helm is hampering timely decision-making."The official who is handling additional responsibilities tends to avoid taking decisions on critical matters. As a result, issues remain pending for long periods," said cantonment activist Rajabhau Chavan.Citing a recent incident involving Old Grant Bungalow (OGB), where a dispute escalated after a private party allegedly created a ruckus within the premises, Chavan said no concrete action was taken in the case."How can a private party go to the bungalow and try to vacate the old tenant who has been staying in it since 1991. So much so that they had damaged the property of the tenant. In what capacity had they done it? It is the defence property and we learnt that there are private players who are after this property. Likewise, there are several violations in the OGBs. These need to be investigated thoroughly. We need a full time DEO who can exercise their power judiciously to safeguard such prime properties in the cantonment," Chavan added.Sources within the Southern Command echoed similar concerns, noting that the Pune circle deals with high-value land and complex regulatory frameworks, making it imperative to have a full-time official with the authority to take independent decisions.The DEO plays a pivotal role in maintaining land records, preventing encroachments, overseeing leases and ensuring compliance with defence land policies. Any delay in decision-making can have legal and financial implications, particularly in urban centres where defence land is under increasing pressure from development activities, a source said."Experts point out that Pune's rapid urban expansion has further increased the importance of proactive land governance in cantonment areas. In such a scenario, prolonged vacancies in key administrative positions could lead to administrative bottlenecks and weaken oversight mechanisms," a senior army officer told TOI.