Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that “Defence Estates in deep urban centres hold serious commercial dimensions,and therefore those who seek to bring about development across the road need their permission. There has to be larger focus on transparency and accountability”. He further highlighted, “the greatest hallmarks of transparency and accountability are uniformity and expedition”, underscoring the critical role of transparency and accountability in Defence Estatesmanagement.

Shri Dhankhar remarked, “Whenever there are issues of development which are beyond your estate and need your sanction, that must be structured, that must be arithmetic. No one should have doubt if there is an element of discrimination, even imperceptible, for an organisation like this”.

Addressing the 7th Defence Estates Day Lecture at the National Institute of Defence Estates Management (NIDEM), Delhi, today, the Vice-President emphasized the importance of precision land management noting, “In our path towards Viksit Bharat at 2047, precision land management coupled with productive utilization stands paramount and I therefore would appeal to you, ensure optimal utilization of your land bank. An optimal utilization has to be thought-provoking. It has to be holistic. It has to be innovative.”

The Vice-President praised the Indian Defence Estates Service for its transformative impact, highlighting, “Your guardianship of this land is vital for both strategic defence infrastructure and sustainable development,” he remarked, adding that many nations do not possess such a vast land resource.

He further noted, “To take care of it, to take care of an estate, its identity and its security are vital. Identity in the shape of rights, updating of those rights, not only for oneself, but also for others, and for the regulator. I must appreciate you have done a remarkable job in updating the land records.”

Encouraging innovative approaches, Shri Dhankhar stated, “You can exemplify to the entire nation what herbal gardens are, what medicinal plants are, because your estates are located in every part of this country that is home to one-sixth of humanity—largest, oldest, vibrant democracy in the world.”

Reflecting on India’s vision for the future, Shri Dhankhar remarked, “Development, nationalism, security, welfare of the people at large, affirmative governance schemes have to be viewed only from one prism, and that is from the prism of our Preamble of our Constitution.”

He highlighted the need for resolving disputes, saying, “You have neighbours. You have also people claiming right of passage through your estates. Issues land up in courts also, and now it is here that your primary focus has to be on a structured mechanism that by dialogue we bring about resolution.”

The Vice-President emphasized forward-thinking strategies and suggested exploring innovative, natural, and organic approaches. “Quite often people talk about agriculture, productivity, going up in other areas in the world. They’re making most of it. You can be a role model for the farmer, for the organic, for the natural. You can also get into a situation which you are already there—fruits, vegetables, dairy products.”

Concluding his address he further suggested, “And all these things give you an opportunity to involve ex-servicemen also, and therefore, it has to be nerve center of an economic activity, much beyond your conventional job.”

Shri G.S. Rajeswaran, Director General, Defence Estates, Dr. Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW), Ministry of Defence and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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