Civilian areas in 13 military cantonments to be transferred to local municipalities

New Delhi: The Central government has intensified efforts to separate civilian areas from defence zones in military cantonments, with plans to transfer property rights over assets in 13 such areas to local municipalities. This move will see military stations remain under armed forces control while surrounding civilian areas are handed over to state governments.

In a recent letter to cantonment authorities, the government outlined guidelines for the excision of civil areas and their merger with state municipalities. These guidelines, formulated in a meeting chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, stipulate that "proprietary rights over all assets meant for providing civic amenities and municipal services in the excised area shall be transferred to State Government/State Municipalities free of cost."

The order also specifies that municipalities will have the authority to impose local taxes and fees in these areas. However, it emphasises that the security concerns of the Armed Forces will be given priority, with privately held lands that might impact military security being considered on a case-by-case basis.

This initiative is part of a broader move to modernise the management of cantonment areas, which the government views as an outdated colonial legacy. The current system has been criticised for depriving residents of access to certain state government welfare schemes.

The separation of civil and military areas has been a recurring issue since India’s independence. In 1948, a committee led by Congress veteran SK Patil recommended the excision of civil areas in six cantonments, but the plan was abandoned due to public opposition.

Currently, India has 62 notified cantonments covering 1.61 lakh acres. The Defence Ministry, which owns nearly 18 lakh acres, announced plans in May 2023 to dissolve all 62 cantonments. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of cantonment boards at 13, followed by Uttarakhand with nine, Maharashtra with seven, Madhya Pradesh with five, and Punjab with three. While this move aims to streamline administration and improve access to civic amenities, concerns have been raised about the capacity of local civic bodies to handle these additional responsibilities, given existing staff shortages and funding constraints.