Colaba complex on army land, says defence officer

Senior military leaders, politicians and bureaucrats who own apartments in Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society have maintained that the high-rise complex in Colaba is not situated on army land. This claim now seems to have come apart.

It is learnt that in a recent communiqué to the ministry of defence, Gita Kashyap, defence estate officer, has referred to documents which show that the disputed land and has been in the physical possession of the local army authorities since as far back as 1984. What’s more, the state government has not raised any objection to the army’s ownership ever since it started using the land for training, nor when it fenced it to prevent encroachments.

The DEO has sent this communiqué in response to a complaint received by the defence ministry from ex-defence personnel in May questioning the role of serving and retired defence personnel in allowing a private housing society to come up on defence land.

DNA was the first to report on this complaint, in April. Though defence minister AK Anthony and Gen VK Singh had responded by ordering an inquiry, the report has not been made public.
It is learnt that the DEO has referred to two letters. The first, by then-chief promoter to CM Vilasrao Deshmukh (of which DNA has a copy), states, “We have negotiated with the local military authorities, who have expressed their willingness to allow the society to go ahead with the project, if certain amount of accommodation is also provided for Army welfare.” Sources point out that no such provision has been made.