Indian Army to Transfer Ten Cantonments to Civilian Authorities Under Modi Government Policy

New Delhi, 3rd September 2024: The Indian Army is preparing to transfer ten cantonments to civilian authorities as part of a policy decision by the Narendra Modi government. The cantonments slated for integration with urban local bodies are Dehradun, Deolali, Nasirabad, Babina, Ajmer, Ramgarh, Mathura, Shahjahanpur, Clement Town, and Fatehgarh.

According to army sources, the process began with draft notifications issued by the Ministry of Defence in March, which provided eight weeks for responses. The Central Command, South Western Command, and Southern Command are coordinating with the governments of Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh to complete the handover.

The defence ministry aims to dissolve 62 cantonments across the country, labelling them as “archaic colonial legacy.” Under the plan, military areas within these cantonments will be reclassified as Military Stations, while civilian areas will be transferred to local municipal authorities.

This move follows the previous transfer of the Yol cantonment in Himachal Pradesh, which was handed over to civil authorities last year. A decision on Secunderabad has not yet been made.

The government has established guidelines for this transfer, stipulating that all assets related to civic amenities and municipal services in the excised areas will be transferred to state governments or municipalities at no cost. Additionally, the cantonment boards’ assets and liabilities will be handed over to the respective municipalities.

In addition to the cantonment transfers, the army has launched an initiative to eliminate waste landfills from all 306 military stations within the next five years.

Cantonments, established during the British era, were originally exclusive residential areas for military personnel and their families. As cities have expanded, civilian populations have grown closer to these areas, often leading to issues such as road access.

At the time of India’s independence, there were 56 cantonments, with six more added post-1947, the last being Ajmer in 1962. The 62 cantonments, including Yol, cover a total area of 161,000 acres.

Last year, the Defence Ministry informed Parliament of plans to standardize municipal laws governing civil areas within cantonments by integrating them with adjacent municipal areas. The details of this plan have been shared with state governments.