Moving from cantonments to military stations E TV Bharat 28 Jul 2025 Maj Gen Harsha Kakar
https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!opinion/moving-from-cantonments-to-military-stations-enn25072802663
Moving from cantonments to military stations E TV Bharat 28 Jul 2025
A recent report from Maharashtra quoted the CM mentioning that six cantonment boards in the state, including Pune, Khadki, Aurangabad, Deolali, Kamptee and Ahmednagar will be merged with local municipal bodies or converted into new municipalities to ensure better amenities and development. The Khas Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh was the first to be handed over to civil authorities, on an experimental basis, and military lands converted into a military station in Apr 2023.
Its success prompted the government to announce that in all balance 61 cantonments, civilian pockets would become part of local municipal authorities, while military areas would remain with the armed forces as military stations. The government announced in May 2024 that it would close all cantonments by the end of the year; however, nothing seemed to have moved. The announcement by the Maharashtra government recently was the first.
As per the central government directive on closure of cantonments, resources to maintain civil areas, held by respective cantonment boards, would be given to city municipal authorities and these boards would ultimately be responsible for managing unoccupied defence lands, with armed forces responsible for maintaining military stations.
Cantonment boards are run by the Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES), established in 1926 as the Military Lands and Cantonment Service with its nomenclature changing in 1985. The first cantonment was established by the British in the late 18th century at Barrackpore near Kolkata. The importance of cantonments grew as the freedom movement gained ground being locations where the army would reside and train, away from populated areas and influence of the freedom movement. They were also located to enable control over local population.
Cantonments were planned as open well-maintained green spaces, with small markets within, to cater for day-to-day needs of those residing within. Slowly towns grew around cantonments, making them the epicentre of cities, rather than being isolated as they were designed for.
To manage functioning of cantonments, the British enacted the Cantonment act of 1924, which was modified in 2006. Civilian areas around clean and green cantonments are prime locations, eyed by the builder community.
To make management worse, cantonment land is the property of the MoD, which incidentally is the second largest owner of lands in India after the railways, utilized by the army and controlled by the IDES. Apart from cantonments, there are also camping grounds, spread across the country, where military convoys used to halt, generally unutilized at present. Most of them have been encroached as they have not been monitored.
The IDES, over the years, became one of the most corrupt government organizations and a law onto itself. The number of land scams involving the IDES were so extensive that the Controller General of Defence Accounts in 2010, went as far as recommending its disbandment. It is accused of accumulating over 13,000 land dispute cases in courts, which alone could cost the government Rs 5,000 crore to settle.
Cantonment boards run schools and dispensaries for its civilian population, provide amenities such as water and electricity, similar to municipal authorities. They also collect taxes and rentals, which are however insufficient to meet daily expenditure. Earlier they were permitted to charge heavy vehicles transiting through cantonments, but the same was stopped by the government.
Cantonment boards are provided financial support by the MoD upto a tune of Rs 450 crore annually, which is rarely released, resulting in poor maintenance of civil areas. Cantonments are also not eligible for some centrally sponsored schemes, which has had an impact on their development.
Sadly, while military pockets of cantonments are generally well maintained, civilian areas are neglected, hence need to be transferred to local municipalities. Cantonment markets, as compared to similar markets in the city, remain an eyesore.
The infamous ‘Adarsh’ scam in Mumbai in Jun 2011 led to the government changing construction rules around cantonments. The power to sanction civilian construction within 100 meters and for four-storey buildings and higher within 500 meters of military establishments, is now with local military authorities.
While this enhances security, it has angered the builder community largely in cities where there are small military pockets spread across the city as Bengaluru and Kolkata, resulting in court cases. The courts have thus far stood with the armed forces.
Military stations, formed after independence, are ideal townships with well-maintained green belts, roads and facilities far better than what municipalities can provide. These have no civilian pockets within and are managed by the army with the IDES only being responsible for the land.
The decision of the government to close cantonments and transfer civilian pockets to local municipalities is ideal. However, it must not be rushed. Before moving forward, the first step to be taken is that the construction rule around cantonments, passed post the Adarsh scam, must become a law, enacted by parliament. This will enhance security of military stations.
Simultaneously, land currently under control of military authorities, including parade grounds in the heart of some cities like Bengaluru and Secunderabad, must be made part of military stations. Secondly, there is a need to frame rules for future disposal of civilian accommodation, termed as ‘old grant bungalows,’ given by the British to those who served them diligently and located within the heart of old cantonments. These can, in the future, become security concerns, if occupied by undesirable elements.
Thirdly, civilian pockets located separately within cantonments, including residential and markets, must be the first to be handed over to municipal authorities. These alone would be a fund saver for the MoD and alongside which IDES staff could be substantially reduced. Fourthly, utilization and management of roads passing through cantonments, which are also shared by local residents, as in Secunderabad, needs to be done in deliberation with city authorities.
The government must also consider disbanding the inept and corrupt IDES on similar lines as military farms. It can retain a core group with no powers except managing outlying camping grounds. Camping grounds too, if unrequired, should be handed over to state authorities as the army would never use them. Management of military stations should be left to local military authorities.
While the intent on closure of cantonments is ideal and must be implemented, actions to protect security of military stations must be enacted, especially in an era of electronic snooping. These cannot be left to the whims and fancies of states and local commanders.