In order to establish consistency in the municipal laws governing civil areas of Cantonments and neighboring State Municipal areas, a proposal has been put forth to separate certain civil areas of cantonments and merge them with nearby municipalities. This proposal will be discussed and voted upon during the upcoming general meeting of the Belagavi City Corporation, scheduled for tomorrow. If approved, the proposal will then be forwarded to the State Government for further consideration, and only after their approval will the civil areas of the Belagavi Cantonment be merged into the Belagavi City Corporation.
The proposal encompasses various aspects, including the transfer or retention of assets and liabilities, the status of Cantonment Board employees and pensioners, and other related matters. As a result of this merger, the military areas within the cantonments will be transformed into military stations, while the civilian areas will become part of the municipality.
Currently, there are 62 cantonments spread across the country, including Belagavi, where the British established a military station back in 1828. This decision represents a significant shift in the organization and management of military and civilian areas. The conversion of military areas into military stations is expected to enhance security and efficiency, while the merging of civilian areas with the municipality will foster greater integration and cooperation between the military and civilian populations.
Yol, a picturesque town nestled in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, has been officially removed from the list of cantonment towns by the defense ministry. This move aims to merge the civil areas of the cantonment with the local municipality, while the military area will be converted into a military station. The change is expected to benefit civilians, who will now have access to state government welfare schemes through the municipality.
The defense ministry issued a notification on April 27 regarding the change in the status of the cantonment. This is the first in a series of planned excisions of cantonments, which have been deemed municipalities and managed by cantonment boards under the Ministry of Defense’s Defense Estates Department. According to military sources, running them is a state subject.
The Belagavi Cantonment is set to close(soon), but the process will take some time and no definite timeline has been issued. The District authorities have been informed of the many issues that need to be addressed before the closure can take place. Once the necessary state clearances are obtained, an order will be issued for the merger with the local municipality or city corporation.
Belagavi is home to several military establishments, including the MLIRC, JL Wing, and commando training center. However, access roads to many of these facilities are shared, and the fort has a military station in place. The civilian areas within the camp, such as the market bazar area, and residential areas like High Street, Kondappa Street etc, will be merged into the Belagavi City Corporation. It is very likely that the Cantonment area would be made as one separate ward itself after the order.