Civil areas in cantonments to be merged with civic bodies

NEW DELHI: In a meeting presided over by the Defence Secretary on June 5, it was decided that the civic areas in the Cantonment Boards will be merged with the adjoining urban local bodies. This decision will affect more than 30 cities. In the case of Belagavi, the modalities of the merger of areas with Belagavi City Corporation will be decided in a board officers’ meeting.

After the decision of the Defence Secretary, the cantonment boards administering the civic area will cease to do so, and the civic bodies will take over the administration, including the civic infrastructure of the board and staff. The move aims to reinstate ground-level democracy in these areas, which inherently means the governance of the urban local bodies. This decision is in line with the larger vision of the Prime Minister of India for a Viksit Bharat 2047 devoid of all colonial practices.

In line with this decision, a meeting will take place of the Cantonment Board in Belagavi to decide upon the modalities for transferring the civic areas to the city corporation. Along with the officers of the cantonment boards, MPs Iranna Kadadi and Jagadish Shettar will be at the meeting.

Speaking about this, the Resident’s Welfare Association in the Belagavi Cantonment Board said they are looking forward to this meeting that will determine the future development of the city.