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In a major departure from the archaic colonial practice of creating cantonments, Yol in Himachal Pradesh has shed its tag as a cantonment. The Military Area within the Cantonment will be converted into a Military Station and the Civil Area will merge with the Municipality, according to sources.
The Government published a notification to this effect on 27 April 2023. 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 Municipality. As far as the Army is concerned, they too could now focus on the development of Military stations. This is a first among a series of excision of Cantts and is a move that has been welcomed by all. Cantts are deemed Municipalities and running Municipalities is a State subject. There were 56 Cantts at the time of Independence and six more were notified after 1947, the last one being Ajmer in 1962. Civilian residents of Cantts are not benefitted from State government welfare schemes since Cantts are governed by Cantt Boards through the Defence Estates Department of the Ministry of Defence. Hence, there is a popular demand from the civilian residents and state governments for the excision of Cantts. A considerable portion of the Defence Budget is spent on developing Civil Areas of Cantts. Due to the ever-increasing expansion of Civil Areas of Cantts, there is pressure on A1 Defence Land. Cantts are colonial phenomena and Military Stations are better administered. Cantt Board employees and assets will be taken over by the neighbouring municipality. (ANI)
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