Defence estate officer’s role in focus

Dinesh Thite; Friday, February 25, 2011,

The permission for construction in the Dehu Road Ammunition Depot’s ‘Red Zone’ given by former defence estate officer (Pune circle), SR Nayyar, needs to be investigated.

On Wednesday, Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor Yogesh Behl held a press conference in which he presented a no objection certificate (NOC) for a construction project in Talawde issued by the defence estate office (DEO), Pune circle, to a Pimpri resident, Mahesh Sugnani.

The NOC signed by Nayyar allowed construction, while stating that Gat No 384 part of Talwade does not fall in the defence safety zone. Behl pointed out that this construction falls under the ‘Red Zone’ where construction activity is prohibited.

The mayor argued that Sector 22, Nigdi, where the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has undertaken its slum rehabilitation project is far from Talwade, which is closer to the ammunition depot. Therefore, it is surprising that the defence authorities are accusing the PCMC of violating the ‘Red Zone’, he said.

Significantly, the then defence estate officer’s role in giving such permission has become questionable in view of the objections raised by the Ammunition Depot.

Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savale has secured letters under the RTI Act, 2005, written by the ammunition depot to the DEO’s office objecting to NOCs issued by it. The ammunition depot had in fact “advised” the authorities to withhold the NOC issued by DEO Pune Circle till clarification was received on the issue.

Ammunition depot administrative officer, Lieutenant Colonel G Pandey, had sent these two letters about NOCs given by the DEO.

Nayyar had signed an NOC given to Mahesh Sugnani for construction in Talwade on February 13, 2007, regarding Gat No 384 part of Talwade listed in appendix C of Gazette notification issued by the Government of India (GOI), which notified the land around ammunition depot as no-construction zone.

On October 19, 2007, the ammunition depot sent a letter to DEO, Pune Circle, in relation to other Gat numbers clearly asking him to seek clarification and approval with the ammunition depot before issuing any such NOC.

In another letter on October 31, 2007, the depot had asked the authorities to hold such NOCs issued by the DEO. In his October 19, 2007 letter, Pandey had said: “It has been brought to the notice of this depot by PCMC that your office has issued NOC in respect to Gat No of Village Talwade stating that these properties area do not fall in the safety clearance zone of 2,000 yards. You are requested to forward the details, sketch, surveys done and records held with your office wherein the said Gat is outside the safety clearance zone of 2,000 yards.”

The letter said, “As per our record and joint survey done, the NOC given by you to PCMC comes under scrutiny clearance zone of 2,000 yards. For any such lapse this depot will not be responsible for issue of NOC from your office without our concurrence.”

In another related letter to Station Headquarters, Dehu Road, Pandey has said, “A fresh map provided by town planning department of PCMC, clearly shows that the above said Gat number do come under 2,000 yards security clearance zone from the outer perimeter wall of the depot. Hence, PCMC has been advised to hold NOC issued by DEO Pune Circle till clarifications on the subject by the DEO Pune is received.”

Pandey had sent a copy of this letter dated October 31, 2007, to DEO Pune Circle with a request to send reply to the depot for discussion at the earliest. An effort was made to contact Nayyar, who was stated to have retired from the defence services. The defence estate office, Pune Circle, and the Khadki Cantonment Board, where he last served, could not provide his contact details.