HYDERABAD: While the TRS government has been demanding that the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) be merged with the GHMC, J. Ramakrishna, vice-president of the SCB, stated that a few powerful politicians had been pushing the merger issue in order to grab civilian land available in the cantonment area and eventually regularise it.
Ramakrishna stated that the Centre had not given direction to merge the SCB with GHMC. “The GHMC is not paying its contractors, is facing a fund crunch, has poor roads, and cannot deal with urban flooding. How can a high-performing SCB be merged with the worst-performing GHMC? Why will SCB show interest in merging with it,” he asked.
He stated that the ministry of defence had requested that all 62 cantonments conduct a study on the civil areas, municipalities and cantonment areas across the nation under the Cantonment Act 2006. Based on the study, the MoD would amend the Cantonment Act 2006 and pass a Bill in Parliament to improve the efficiency of running cantonments across the country. The GHMC officials stated that they would conduct a study based on the Centre's instructions, while contending that they have nothing to do with the state government.
The proposed Bill aims to improve "ease of living" in cantonments. Majority of the cantonments have a civil-military mix in their demographics. The administration of the cantonments is overseen by the MoD. The Cantonment Bill, 2022 is expected to include provisions to ensure that civilians living within cantonments do not face any difficulties.
"It is a Bill for the administration of cantonments with a view to imparting greater democratisation, modernisation, and efficiency, as well as to achieve greater developmental objectives in alignment with municipalities," the ministry of defence previously stated.
The MoD had asked the SCB to form a team with the GHMC and present the pros and cons of the merger. The GHMC was informed that the MoD intended to conduct a study under the supervision of the SCB. According to a senior official, they will study the number of structures in civilian areas in the SCB, available land mass, current civic infrastructure, revenue generation, and expenditure in order to submit the findings to the Centtre. When asked about the merger of GHMC and the SCB, the official stated that a decision must be made by the MoD and that it will not be limited to GHMC.
‘No question of merger’
MoD directed 62 cantonments to conduct a study on urban infrastructure in SCB vis-a-vis GHMC
Study revenue generation and expenditure in both SCB and GHMC
Overall financial condition of both the bodies, including loan repayments and debts
Road maintenance, sanitation, urban flooding, civilian areas, available land mass, among others
MoD proposed to amend Cantonment Act 2006.
Bring a new Bill (Cantonment Bill 2022) in the upcoming Parliament session
