Hyderabad: SCB-GHMC merger plan gains traction

Hyderabad: The demand to merge the Secunderabad Cantonment Board with GHMC will be fulfilled soon as the Defence ministry has constituted an eight-member official committee, which includes the State Municipal Administration and Urban Development secretary. The committee will submit its report to the ministry in a month time.

According to a letter drafted to the Telangana government, a committee will be formed to investigate the specifics of the proposed modalities for the excision of land and immovable assets. "The committee will look into various details like modalities for excision, the status of Cantonment Board employees or pensioners, Cantonment funds, and Civic Services among others. The ministry asked the committee to submit its report within a month without fail", said an official.

The committee will have members from the Defence ministry, Telangana government, Secunderabad Cantonment, and Defence Southern Command among others.

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board's composition, employees, pensioners, cantonment funds, civic services, movable properties, road and traffic management will be investigated.

Members of the All Cantonments Welfare Association applauded the start of the Secunderabad Cantonment's civilian area merger with the GHMC.

Responding to the centre's decision, Telangana State Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister K T Rama Rao tweeted, "We have been demanding the merger of Secunderabad Cantonment into GHMC for a long time now and this will help the State government in taking forward the SRDP and other infrastructure projects expeditiously. It is the Union government's adamant refusal to part with land that held up proposed skyways for over seven years".