Hyderabad: Civilian areas in Secunderabad Cantonment to be marked

Hyderabad: Providing a breath of relief to civilians, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a circular on Thursday stating that all areas within the Secunderabad Contonmnet, where the civilians reside are to be treated as theirs.

A circular said that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Cantonments should provide information on various categories of areas to the Principal Directorate of Defence Estates by January 20.

The categories should be marked in the form of colours on maps as follows:

• Civilian areas and those outsides should be marked in yellow colour
• Commercial and mixed areas used by all civilians in red
• Military purpose areas in green
• Other government departments in blue
• Civic amenities provided by the Cantonment Board in black

The state and central governments have been at loggerheads over the Secunderabad Cantonment area, the victims of which were the residents. The Secunderabad Cantonment Citizens Welfare Association has praised this move by the Ministry of Defence.

The association has made a 1250-page dossier highlighting how Secunderabad Cantonment stands on a different footing from other cantonments in India, said a press release.

The Ministry of Defence also issued a notice on Thursday, approving the proposal regarding the excision of civil areas from the limits of Khas Yol Cantonment Board in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh which was the first of the 62 cantonments to be merged with the municipality.