Cantonments to become deemed municipalities

New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) Cantonments are now proposed to be given the status of deemed municipalities to discharge the functions of a muncipality,Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha.

Moving for consideration the Cantonment Bill 2006, he said there were 62 cantonments in the country out of which 56 were set up during the British period and 6 in the independent India. Previously cantonments used to serve as temporary residence of troops but now a days it served as their permanent residence.

The cantonments were in possession of 17 lakh acres of land out of which 15 lakh acres were defence land. A separate Bill would be brought forward in respect of defence land.

He said the Government had divided the cantonments into four categories from the existing three and increased the number of elected representatives. The MPs and MLAs would be associated with these cantonments without voting rights. The Bill provides for more democratisation of the cantonment boards.

Initiating discussion on the Bill,Mr Bachi Singh Rawat (BJP) said though the Bill provides for giving the status of deemed municipalities to cantonments, it containes no rights for the citizens living there. The people there were forced to lead a life of second class citizens. He suggested that the chief of the municipal board should not be the Commanding Officer but from among the elected representatives.

Mr Baba Saheb Wickhe Patil (Cong) said there were no administrators in several cantonment boards. He said building quarters on the cantonment land made the areas congested and therefore separate defence land should be provided for building quarters.MORE UNI YS VA KP1551