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Behind the decision to get rid of 'colonial' military cantonments

"Civilians who were, until now, not getting access to State government welfare schemes through the municipality, will now be in a position to avail everything," sources said.

Behind the decision to get rid of 'colonial' cantonments
Author
First Published May 2, 2023, 4:43 PM IST

The government's drive to rid the country of its colonial past got another push on Monday with the defence ministry deciding to shed the cantonment tag for Yol in Himachal Pradesh and convert the military area into a military station and merge the civil area with the municipality.

According to the sources, there are 62 cantonments spread across the country. When India got independence, there were 56 Cantonments and six more were notified after 1947, the last one being Ajmer in 1962. “Excision has happened earlier in Ambala and Agra.”

Now, the civilian area in Yol comprises 12 villages and will be merged with the Kangra district municipality.

The joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Rakesh Mittal had on April 27, issued a notification to give effect to dissolving the Yol Cantonment.

According to the sources, the excision is being planned in the Nasirabad Cantonment of Ajmer district of Rajasthan.

Benefits of dissolving cantonment:

Sources believe that the step would be beneficial to all alike. "Civilians who were, until now, not getting access to State government welfare schemes through the municipality, will now be in a position to avail everything."

"As far as the Army is concerned, they too could now focus on the development of military stations," souces added.

Prior to shedding the tag of Cantonment, the civilian residents of Cantonments were governed by Cantonment Boards through the Defence Estates Department of the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier, a considerable portion of the defence budget used to be spent on the development of civil areas of Cantonments.

"Also due to the ever-increasing expansion of Civil Areas of Cantonments, there is pressure on A1 Defence Land. Cantonments are colonial phenomena and Military Stations are better administered."

The sources also added that Cantonments Board employees and assets will be taken over by the neighbouring municipality.

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