SCB staff sound alarm over impact of merger with GHMC

Hyderabad / New Delhi: Members of the Secunderabad Cantonment Employees’ Union, along with Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday. They submitted a representation on what will be the fate of SCB employees and pensioners after the SCB-GHMC merger.

The union members pointed out that integration of the Secunderabad Cantonment areas into GHMC could potentially impact the employment terms of the dedicated personnel. Hence, it is imperative that appropriate measures be taken to safeguard their rights and ensure that their service continuity remains unaffected by administrative changes.

A Parushuram, general secretary of the union, said, “During the meeting with Defence Minister members, we requested to consider exempting the 5% celling of vacancies for compassionate appointments. Most dependents of the deceased employees in the SCB are dependents of the Group-D employees; they are exposed to an unhygienic and hazardous environment; as such, the death ratio is very high; their average life spans 48 years. The other issues raised include: will the entire civil population areas of SCB (or the existing 16 civil bazaar areas) be merged into GHMC; what will be the fate of employees and pensioners; will the 125 compassionate appointment orders long pending since 2011 be implemented; and how the MOD will deal with B3 lands (lease land and old grants) and holders of occupancy rights (HOR).

The fate of A1-Lands (army lands), where poor people built huts in certain areas like Mudford and Saibaba Huts, 108 Bazar Huts, Nandamurinagar, and Centenary Colony were also discussed, said the union members.