Defence ministry hit by fresh land scam

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Defence Ministry has been hit by a fresh land scam with an in-house inquiry finding that about 70 "adhoc NoCs" were issued to private realtors flouting norms for defence land which included the Srinagar air base.

A CBI inquiry has been recommended by the Defence Ministry after it received the inquiry report submitted by its high-powered committee.

"There was some Defence Estates Organisation (DEO) gentlemen before who had issued some adhoc NOCs. The matter is for investigation... a high-powered Defence Ministry team had gone there to look into the matter," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told reporters.

The DEO there had issued around 70 NOCs to private realtors and the last four were given for the IAF land over which the Srinagar airfield is built and a CBI probe has been recommended by the Defence Ministry, sources said here.

Sources said the probe had found that in collusion with State government officials, the DEO officials had issued NoCs to sell land in and around the air force station and the 15 Corps headquarters.

Browne said the services don't see the issue of piece of defence land given to private realtors as just a land issue as "this is question of our security and that can't be compromised." Browne said the service had land in five pockets in the city which was fenced and the IAF "didn't issue NoCs neither on ground or air." Browne said that management of defence land was the responsibility of the DEO and they have given CDs of the land records to units to verify whether the land records in respective areas.

PTI