India set to disband 62 cantonments around the country to convert them into military stations

According to reports, India has decided to disband cantonments and will convert them into military stations.

Many news sources reported that the 62 cantonments around the country will be converted to military stations, with the Indian army exercising ‘absolute control’ over them. To add to this, the civilian areas will also be merged with local municipalities, which will then be responsible for their maintenance, among other things.

India to ban cantonments

Under this newly devised plan, the first cantonment to be renamed a military station was ‘Yol’ in Himachal Pradesh, with Secunderabad and NAsirabad, among the cantonments set to be shrunk.

It is important to mention here that this change will be implemented quicker in cantonments, where the demarcation between military and civil areas is easy. On the other hand, cantonments in other regions will take time. However, not all cantonments will become military stations as some army and civilian pockets are intertwined.

The move will benefit those civilians who were not gaining access to state government welfare schemes. The change is also set to enable the army to focus on developing military stations. In the report, it was stated civilian pockets and cantonment intertwining might not permit segregation in some regions.

Officials that are familiar with the development said that carving out military stations by merging civilian areas, with local bodies will be beneficial for all stakeholders. Likewise, civilians who are not getting access to state government welfare schemes through municipal corporations and municipalities will be able to avail of the schemes after the civilian areas become part of the local bodies. This will also assist the army in focusing more on the development of military stations.

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