Secunderabad Cantonment merger delay fuels political row
TELANGANA: Politics in Secunderabad Cantonment has intensified with parties taking opposing positions on its future governance. While the Congress is pressing for the cantonment board’s merger with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi is demanding immediate elections. The issue escalated further after the Union defence ministry extended the term of nominated members by another year.
Congress leaders argue that development is possible only through merger with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, however, insists that elections to the cantonment board should be held without delay. Local MLA Sri Ganesh has been staging relay hunger strikes for the past five days, demanding the merger. BJP leaders have welcomed the Centre’s decision to extend the nominated board’s tenure.
Elections put on hold amid merger debate
Elections to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board were last held in 2015, when voters elected ward members from eight wards. The elected members’ term ended in 2020, after which no elections were conducted.
Although the Union defence ministry prepared to issue an election notification, amendments to the Cantonments Act in February 2021 stalled the process. Following pressure from residents, an election notification was issued on April 30, 2023, under the Cantonments Act, 2006, and a draft notification was also released.
However, the proposal to merge cantonment boards with local municipal corporations surfaced during this period, leading to a halt in the election process in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board area.
Board run by nominated members
The merger process with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has not been completed, while elections have also not been held. Since the dissolution of the elected board in 2020, the cantonment has been administered by nominated members.
At present, Bhavika Sharma D. Sullikarjun is serving as the civilian nominated member. With her tenure due to end next month, the Centre issued orders extending it by another year.
‘Decide merger or elections’
Residents say development has suffered due to the absence of an elected board. They are demanding either immediate merger with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation or the conduct of elections.
They allege that civic issues are not being addressed without a governing council. Locals point out that a merger would result in a 3.5% reduction in property tax and enable road widening.
‘Only merger can ensure development’
“Secunderabad Cantonment can develop only if it is merged with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Being under the Centre’s control, the area has lagged in development for three decades. Even basic facilities such as drinking water, internal roads and drainage are lacking. If the merger is not carried out, we will intensify our agitation,” said Sri Ganesh, Cantonment MLA.
Ponnam seeks Centre’s intervention
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar urged Union ministers from the state G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to respond to the issue and write to the Centre.
In a statement released on Saturday, he extended support to the hunger strike led by MLA Sri Ganesh and reiterated that comprehensive development of the cantonment board was possible only through merger with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Hunger strike enters fifth day
PADMARAO NAGAR: The relay hunger strike demanding the merger of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board with the state municipal corporation continued for the fifth day on Saturday.
Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav, MLC Balmuri Venkat, and former Quthbullapur MLA Kuna Srisailam Goud extended support to the agitation. Religious leaders from various faiths also expressed solidarity.
