Civil areas in 58 cantonments to be run by local bodies; Jammu, Srinagar kept out

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

A list of 58 cantonments that are planned to be shifted has been shared with the respective states. The list includes all major cantonments including Delhi, Pune, Ambala and Ahmedabad, besides hill stations like Kasauli and Landsdowne. Only two cantonments — in Jammu and Srinagar — have been left out for now due to security considerations.

While discussions have been initiated, a time line has not yet been formalized for the process. «The excision of civil areas and their merger with State Municipalities involves active consultation and concurrence of the concerned State Governments. Therefore, it is not feasible to provide any time-frame for its implementation,» Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed parliament.

As reported, the process was initiated in April this year when the defence ministry issued a notification to shed the tag of cantonment for Yol in Himachal Pradesh. The military area within the cantonment has been converted into a military station while the civil area is merged with the municipality. The reason for the move citied by the minister is to bring «uniformity in municipal laws governing civil areas of Cantonments and adjoining State Municipal areas».