Govt to dissolve several colonial-era cantonments; designate them as military stations
The move will benefit civilians who were not getting access to state government welfare schemes and enable the army to focus more on developing military stations
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The Indian defence ministry has decided to phase out several colonial-era cantonments and designate them as military stations.
The first cantonment to be renamed a military station is Yol in Himachal Pradesh. The next in line to go are Secunderabad and Nasirabad.
The move will benefit civilians who were not getting access to state government welfare schemes and enable the army to focus more on developing military stations.
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There are 62 cantonments in 19 states across the country, covering 1.6 lakh acres and housing 50 lakh military and civilian personnel.
In a major departure from archaic colonial practice of creating cantonments, Yol in Himachal Pradesh has shed its tag as a cantonment. The Military Area within the Cantonment will be converted into a Military Station and the Civil Area will merge with the Municipality. A… pic.twitter.com/dewPsWwHVh
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2023
The news comes as the army is evaluating British-era practises in collaboration with all stakeholders, including top brass, serving officers, soldiers, and veterans.
Civilian residents of Cantts do not benefit from State government assistance initiatives because they are controlled by Cantt Boards through MOD’s Defence Estates Department.
As a result, there is widespread support among civilian residents and state governments for Cantts’ abolition, according to media reports.
A significant percentage of the Defence Budget is spent on constructing Cantt Civil Areas, reproted ANI.
There is rising strain on A1 Defence Land due to the ever-expanding Civil Areas of Cantts. Cantts are a colonial phenomenon, whereas Military Stations are properly managed.
The neighboring municipality will take over Cantt Board workers and assets.
With inputs from agencies
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