Karwar: The Defence Department has agreed to open a Defence Estate office at the Deputy Commissioner’s office to speed up the relief works and distribution of pending compensation to land losers of Seabird Project which has been pending for decades.

For the project, thousands of people in Karwar and Ankola taluks had parted with their land, houses and other properties. But, the Defence Department has not given proper compensation to them who then approached higher courts to get more compensation.

Most of the cases were closed in the courts. Most of the key demands of Uttara Kannada district administration, including a Defence Estate Office in Karwar, have been approved at a meeting held under the chairmanship of state chief secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia in Bengaluru on Monday.

Presently, the Defence Estate officer’s office is located in Bengaluru and it’s delaying compensation to the land losers even after clearing the same by courts.

If the office is brought to Karwar, the process of giving compensation will speed up and the cases, which are pending for decades, will be closed, said Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul.

In 912 cases, Rs 221.24 crore was released. An additional Rs 634.41 crore is yet to be paid. Defence Ministry officials have been asked to deposit the amount to the accounts of Special Land officers and Navy Karwar.