Parliament Question: Massive encroachment of land

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 229 ANSWERED ON 02/02/2026 MASSIVE ENCROACHMENT OF LAND 229. DR. LAXMIKANT BAJPAYEE: Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that frequent encroachment of land and illegal construction on it has become a serious problem in every city of the country; (b) the laws which are presently governing the issue of such illegal encroachment of land; (c) whether these laws are sufficient to deal with such a rampant and serious situation of land encroachment; and (d) whether Government proposes to suitably amend such laws and make them more stringent with a view to improve this situation of massive encroachment? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU) (a) to (d): Regulation of land use and town planning are State subjects and matters related to illegal encroachment of Government land fall under the jurisdiction of the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT). The State-level authorities use applicable laws to remove encroachments on land under their jurisdiction. However, as far as properties of Land & Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Delhi are concerned, cases of encroachment are dealt through administrative action and instrumentalities like the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. With respect to Central govt. vacant land parcels of L&DO in other states, the same have been given to Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for care & maintenance. CPWD accordingly takes action for any encroachment. *****