The Defence Ministry is working on new policy guidelines relating to working of Cantonment Boards by replacing archaic provisions with more realistic rules, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Parliamentary consultative committee attached to his Ministry.
Addressing the Parliamentary panel which met outside New Delhi for the first time in Panaji, Goa, he said India has 62 cantonments in 19 States and he had received representations about the difficulties faced by civilian residents of cantonments. These related to closure of roads in cantonments, problems connected with the works of Defence Act, 1903, inordinate delay in transfer and mutation of properties held on old grant or lease, sub-division and change of purpose, resumption of properties held on old grant, renewal of expired leases, conversion of old grant or leasehold sites in civil areas of the cantonments into freehold and restriction on construction of building and revision of building bye-law, he pointed out.
The establishment of Cantonments started during British period with the need for quartering the troops. The first Cantonment was established in Barrackpore (35 km from Kolkata) in 1765 and the second at Danapur (Patna) in the same year. The total area covered by 62 cantonments is 1,86,730 acres.
Taking part in the discussion on Sunday, MPs suggested that the Government should endeavour to build Smart Cantonments on the line of Smart Cities. Some members felt that the Ministry should take immediate steps to improve the living conditions of civilian populace in Cantonment areas. One suggestion was to allow existing owners to carry out repair and restoration work of the buildings and automatic extension of leasehold of property.