INDIAN DEFENCE ESTATES SERVICE (IDES)

The Indian Defence Estates Services was formed in 1985. The erstwhile Military Land and Cantonments Service existing for 75 years has been Indian Defence renamed as the Indian Defence Estates Service under the cadre controlling authority of Ministry of Defence with a cadre size of 134 posts. The sour of recruitment (in percentage) was through direct recruitment 75%; by promotion 25% and there was no lateral entry.

Service hierarchy:

Grade	Pay scales	Designations in field	Designations in headquarters	Any other Designation
Junior time scale	8000-275-13500	Cantonment executive officer (CEO) or Defence estates officer (DEO)	Deputy Asstt. DG in DG’s office or Asstt. Director in office of the Director Defence Estates at Command headquarters	N.A.
Senior time scale	10000-325-15200	Cantonment executive officer (CEO) or Defence Estates Officer (DEO)	Asstt. DG in DG’s office or Deputy Director in office of Director Defence Estates at command headquarters	N.A
Junior administrative grade	12000-375-16500	Cantonment executive officer (CEO) or Defence Estates Officer (DEO)	Deputy Director in DG’s office or Joint Director in of the Director Defence Estates at command headquarters	N.A.
Selection grade	14300-400-18300	Cantonment executive officer (CEO) or Defence Estates Officer (DEO)	Deputy Director in DG’s office or Joint Director in of the Director Defence Estates at command headquarters	N.A.
Senior administrative grade	18400-500-22400	N.A.	Director Defence Estates at Command HQ or Addl. DG in DG’s office or Director, NIDEM	N.A.
Higher administrative grade	22400-525-24500	N.A.	Senior Additional DG in DG’s office or Principal Director at command HQ	N.A.
Director General Defence Estates	26000 (fixed)	N.A.	Director General Defence Estates	N.A.

Brief write up on the service outlining the main functions etc. including areas where interaction and coordination with other services is essential:

The Indian Defence Estates Service provides its services through 62 Cantonments and 30 Defence Estates Office Circles spatially distributed across the country. The Indian Defence Estates Service is managed at the apex level by the Director General Defence Estates, a Secretary level office. For administrative convenience, the country has been divided into five Army Commands i.e., Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern and central Commands each headquartered at Jammu, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Pune and Lucknow respectively. Each command is headed by a Principal Director (Additional Secretary level officer) to assist the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, the Command in respect of cantonment administration and the DG Defence Estates in management of defence lands / accomplishment of objectives of the Service. All the Cantonment Executive Officers and Defence Estates Officers, within the jurisdiction of Command, report to the Principal director. The administrative hierarchy of the service is as under

Ministry of Defence
Director General Defence Estates
Principal Director – Command Headquarters
Land Administration Municipal Administration of Cantonments
Defence Estates officers Cantonment Executive Officer
For each circle for each cantonment

Indian Defence Estates Service performs dual functions viz:

provide civil/municipal administration in cantonments

defence lands management and audit

cantonment executive officer’s function as the Executive head of cantonment is providing civil/municipal administration in cantonments. Their functions include:

sanitation and civic administration in cantonments

construction of roads, infrastructure, street lighting, public parks, libraries, public markets.

Supply of clean drinking water

Preparing and implementing town planning scheme

Regulating building activity

Formulation and execution of taxation policy including assessment, imposition, remission and refund of taxes

Establishing and maintaining schools, hospitals

Registration of birth and deaths

Conducting election and census related activity in the cantonment area

Defence Estates Officers perform the function of Defence Land Management and independent audit which includes:

Management, custody and disposal of defence lands

Acquisitions, requisition, hiring and relinquishment of defence lands

Handling litigations and court cases pertaining to defence lands including those arising out of acquisition

Defending the title of the government in defence lands
Independent audit of defence land usage