Balasore: Even as the Indian government pushes forward with plans to strengthen the country’s military infrastructure, concerns have surfaced over alleged encroachments on land belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Talsari beach in Bhograi block of Balasore district.
In the 1990s, the IAF unit at Kalaikunda in West Midnapore district of West Bengal had test-fired missiles from the Talsari coast into the Bay of Bengal. Officials said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had initially identified 10 acres of land in the area, later expanded and acquired an additional 50 acres, Revenue officials said.
A signboard still stands there stating the property belongs to the IAF under the MoD, warning against construction, farming, garbage dumping or movement inside the zone. A small MoD outpost with four security guards remains on site.
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However, allegations have emerged that influential persons have illegally occupied portions of the land, fencing it off for private use. As per Supreme Court directives, no private party is allowed to claim land within 500 metres of the coastline under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1986.
Locals have expressed concern over sand dunes at Talsari being sold and purchased in blatant violation of this rule, demanding a high-level investigation. Adding to the controversy, reports alleged that some hotels near the MoD premises are run by members of minority community, including suspected Bangladeshi nationals.
Locals also claim several Bangladeshi fishermen are staying in the area with the help of local residents. They demand verification of the suspects’ Aadhaar and voter IDs by authorities to establish their nationality.
The situation has sparked heightened concern as Balasore district already hosts critical defence installations, including the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Chandipur and the missile testing site at Wheeler Island in Bhadrak district. The Indian Navy also operates a training centre at Chilika.
Meanwhile, the MoD is working to revive Rasgobindpur airbase in Mayurbhanj district. Frequent inspections by Kalaikunda Air Force officials at Talsari, along with reports of underground power connections worth ₹7 crore being laid at the site, have fuelled speculation that the government may be planning to set up either an Air Force base or a naval training facility at the site.
Balasore Additional District Magistrate Sudhakar Nayak told reporters that the district administration has received no official communication from the MoD regarding Talsari. However, Bhograi tehsildar Surya Kumar Nayak confirmed that all illegal encroachments on MoD land and surrounding government land would be removed.
PNN
