The Ministry of Defence is doing away with the archaic colonial practice of cantonments in a planned way now, with the Yol in Himachal Pradesh shedding the tag to become merely a military station like 58 others would in the due course of time.

The civilian area in Yol, that comprises 12 villages, will be merged into the local municipality of Kangra district--a move that is a culmination of persistent push by the Army to the MoD for better administration and safety, said sources aware of the development. On April 27, MoD Joint Secretary Rakesh Mittal issued a notification to give effect to dissolving of Yol Cantt.

The Yol Cantt bifurcation was possible because the civilian areas were clearly defined, explained sources. The Cantt Board--whose president is the local military authority and the CEO, who enjoys all the power, is a Defence Estate officer--has been dissolved. It is learnt that presently excision is being planned in Nasirabad Cantt of Ajmer district, Rajasthan.

Fiscal prudence

The demerging of Cantt board jurisdiction is also seen as another attempt to bring fiscal prudence in defence management. It will help MoD, believe sources, to avoid spending in civilian areas of Cantt such as for the upkeep of infrastructure including roads and power, and for employees salaries.

Directorate General of Defence Estates, an arm of MoD that governs military real estate, owns about 17.99 lakh acres of land, of which 1.61 lakh acres of land is located within 62 notified cantonments across the country. Out of 16.38 lakh acres land spread outside the cantonments, about 18,000 acres is either State hired land or is proposed for deletion from records on account of transfer to other government departments, as per the MoD which had recently carried out survey of its land for the first time since Independence.

Avoid corruption

It will also help the armed force to avoid corruption normally associated with land and other dealings reported in the past too, said a retired Army personnel. Also, the ever-increasing expansion of civil areas of Cantts many a times posed security threat, and added to pressure on defence land, said sources.

“Contrary to perception, this move will prove 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 these through the local bodies. As far as the Army is concerned, they too could now focus on the development of military station,” observed sources.

This is a first among a series of excision of Cantts, which are deemed municipalities and running them is a State subject, and the initiative has been welcomed by all, stated sources. Cantt Board employees and assets will hence forth be taken over by the neighbouring municipality. The States will have to legally adjust to the new situation for accommodating persons and infrastructure which will now be their sole responsibility.

At the time of independence, there were 56 Cantts. Six more were notified post partition of India, the last one was Ajmer and it happened in 1962.