Bungalow On Prime Defence Land Sealed In Pune Camp Area For Illegal Sale
Camp, 10th January 2024: In a significant move, the Defence Estates Office (DEO) Pune Circle sealed an Old Grant Bungalow (OGB) spanning 1.6 acres of prime defence land on Cross Road in Pune Camp on Tuesday. Saurav Ray, the director of the defence estates of Principal Directorate Defence Estates (PDDE), Southern Command, stated that the property was sealed upon discovering its unauthorized sale.
This action marks the first of its kind in over two decades, with DEO officials highlighting the importance of reclaiming the sprawling property on Cross Road to prevent encroachments from land speculators. The OGB, left unused for years as the Holder of Occupancy Rights (HOR) had vacated, holds a market value exceeding Rs 50 crore.
A senior DEO official emphasized the necessity of the resumption process to maintain the integrity of defence land. “As per procedure, we have sealed the premises, and we will initiate the resumption process,” stated a DEO source.
The DEO has reached out to the Inspector General of Registration of the Haveli division to obtain sale document details. Over the last two months, DEO and PDDE officials have been inspecting bungalows, uncovering irregularities in OGBs during their initial survey.
Saurav Ray explained, “We are scrutinising OGBs cases and have already taken strong action in several cases after finding irregularities.” The ongoing verification process includes examining land records, property status, names on the General Land Registers, and other relevant documents.
“We verify the GLRs of these bungalows with our old records. We send a notice to the HORs if we find irregularities,” added sources. Instances have emerged where builders acquired these bungalows through a power of attorney, later applying for building permissions and ownership change (mutation) through the same process, a practice prevalent in Pune cantonment for the last two decades.
