At least fifty (50) days have passed and one of the top most officers of the Indian Army, heading 16 corps headquarters in Nagrota, has so far failed to convince the entire State machinery including former Deputy Chief Minister Prof Nirmal Singh to stop illegal construction on a plot located in the close vicinity of Army’s ammunition depot in Nagrota.
It was on March 19, 2018 lt-Gen lt-General Saranjeet Singh, GoC of 16 corps, had written to Prof Nirmal Singh, holding the charge of Power and Housing and Urban Development Department at that time, that ongoing construction on a plot, owned by his wife Mamta Singh, is illegal and “has implications on the security of a major ammunition storage facility as well as the safety of all personnel living in close vicinity of the ammunition depot”.
Requesting politely lt-Gen Singh also wrote: “May I request you to reconsider construction of residential accommodation in close proximity of the ammunition depot being a potential safety hazard.”
Before writing directly to Prof Nirmal Singh the Army authorities had approached various State Government departments including local police authorities to stop ongoing construction activity but failed to do so.
Ironically, instead of paying heed to the serious concerns raised by the senior Army officer the construction work went on 'unabated' on a hillock. When contacted Speaker Prof Nirmal Singh refused to take questions from mediapersons on the subject.
When this correspondent visited the area on Saturday the construction workers were present at the site and carrying out necessary works inside the multi story residential accommodation.
Meanwhile, as several media teams visited the area large number of local residents also converged in the area seeking redressal of their grievances. The majority of local residents in the area demanded immediate shifting of the ammunition depot to a more safer location.
Claiming that the army authorities, who have been rented out the land by the local landlords, are facing worst form of harassment and have also lost hope of earning justice as no one is paying attention to their pleas.
Chanchal Singh, lambardar of village BAN told The Pioneer, " we demand immediate shifting of army's ammunition depot because the same army authorities whom we had given our land is not allowing them freedom to live peacefully".
"We cannot construct new toilets,dig water tube wells or expand our accommodation because our houses fall within the 910 metres radius of Ammunition depot".
Referring to Works of Defence Act (WoDA) 1903 Singh said army authorities had set up ammunition depot in 1962 in the area and since then hundreds of villagers have constructed homes in the vicinity. Till few years ago the army authorities never raised objections nor directed then to shift to safer places by settling their compensation claims. Singh said, "It is since last one decade we are facing harassment at the hands of local depot authorities".
The local villagers alleged the army officers are also involved in loot of jungles in the area but do not allow real owners to even dig tube wells. We are not Pakistanis, we are Indians too.We too want to live peacefully in our ancestral land.Why should we leave vast stretch of 900 metres vacant to satisfy whims and fancies of army authorities".
Another village elder Darshan Kumar Sharma claimed, "we are not against the Army. large number of villagers in the area have served Indian army but now they too are feeling the heat as depot authorities not permitting them to even raise new toilets in the area".
A youngster Ajay Sharma, resident of the same village told The Pioneer, "we do not want to live in stone age.Every time we start some basic construction to meet our basic demands the army officers visit our place and force us to stop construction activity".
Chancal Singh said more than two dozen cases are slapped by the villagers against the Depot authorities seeking permission to raise necessary construction in their houses but no final verdict has been delivered in the court of law so far.