Secunderabad Cantonment Board

Secunderabad Cantonment Board is the civic administrative agency of Secunderabad cantonment area. Geographically, it lies in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. Secunderabad Cantonment Board is India’s second largest cantonment board,[1][2][3] after Bathinda Cantonment. There are eight civilian wards in Secunderabad Cantonment Board, with a population of four lakh.[4] Being primarily a military area, the Secunderabad cantonment comes under the administrative purview of the union defence ministry of the government of India. It is overseeing an area of 40.1 km2 (15.5 sq mi),[5]: 93  where there are several military camps.[6]: 2 [7] Secunderabad Cantonment has a huge land bank (about 2,000 acres), which has been protected since the British era.[8]

Secunderabad Cantonment along with six zones in Hyderabad

Demographics

As of 2011 census of India, it had a population of 217,910 and an area of 22.81 km2 (8.81 sq mi) with 50,333 households. [9]

The infrastructure management and administration of the civilian areas in the cantonment are looked after by the Board. As per the Cantonment Act of 2006, Secunderabad cantonment is classified as a Class-I cantonment.

The General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) or Deputy GOC of the Indian Army's Telangana & Andhra Sub Area acts as the President of the Board. The executive powers of the Board are vested in the CEO who is an Indian Defence Estates Service officer appointed by the union defence ministry. Half the members on the Board are elected by the civilian population residing in the cantonment in the Board's general elections. The other half comprise the CEO, the Hyderabad district collector and military officers nominated by the Board's President. Though not members on the Board, as per the Cantonment Act the local MP and MLA are treated as special invitees to the Board meetings.

Areas In Cantonment

History
British Residency House Bolarum during Nizams era, Photo 1892, Curzon collection

The significant presence of the military in the Secunderabad cantonment area can be dated back to the days of the British Raj in the early 1800s. To honour the progress achieved by the British officers stationed at Secunderabad cantonment in Hyderabad, the erstwhile British government established 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for building a Clock Tower in 1860.[10]

Before Indian Independence and Police action in 1948, according to the agreement between the British and the Nizam of Hyderabad, the cantonment was under the control of the British. Later, owing to the huge military presence, the area was brought under the control of the defence ministry. The British Prime Minister during the World War-II Sir Winston Churchill, during his early days in the British Army (c. 1896), was stationed in the Secunderabad cantonment in the Trimulgherry area.

Present Day

The Secunderabad Cantonment Board, informally known as Cantonment is responsible among other things for drinking water, drainage, roads, sewage, garbage disposal, public health, municipal taxes, etc. The main offices are housed in a British-era building near the edge of the Cantonment. The complex also houses a Court and the office of the zonal DCP of the Hyderabad city police.

Potable water is supplied to the residents of the Cantonment on a fixed delivery timeline, once every two or three days based on the locality.

Laying and maintaining of Sewer lines is a function of the SCB and one can often see the workers clearing clogged manholes during a work day.

All house plans need to be approved by the Cantonment before start of any construction activity. House taxes are collected on a yearly basis and the Cantonment sends out bills with amounts due to the residents. The taxes are expected to be paid at the Cantonment main office.

References
  1. "Secunderabad, 2nd largest cantt, has no fire service department".
  2. "'Strict' Secunderabad Cantonment Board keeps coronavirus at bay".
  3. "Clean-up time: Secunderabad Cantonment Board hits bottom in Swachh League 2020 ranking".
  4. "Secunderabad Cantonment Board met just twice this year to discuss people issues".
  5. "Exploring urban growth management in three developing country cities" (PDF). World Bank. 15 June 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  6. "Survey of child labour in slums of Hyderabad: final report" (PDF). Center for Good Governance, Hyderabad. 17 December 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  7. "Information hand book under right to information act Secunderabad cantonment board" (PDF). Secunderabad Cantonment Board. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  8. "Sec'bad Cantt plans land demarcation to keep sharks at bay".
  9. "District Census Handbook – Guntur" (PDF). Census of India. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner. p. 28. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  10. "Time stands still at Clock Tower". The Hindu. 13 February 2007. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2010.

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