Defence panel meet renews hope of SCB-GHMC merger

Hyderabad: With just days remaining for the upcoming Defence Standing Committee meeting, there is renewed hope that the long-pending merger of the Secunderabad Cantonment’s civilian areas with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will finally move forward. In anticipation, several Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) have submitted representations to the concerned authorities, urging them to take prompt and decisive action.

In that regard, recently, Cantonment Vikas Manch, an organisation that has been fighting for a merger, has submitted a representation letter to Radha Mohan Singh, Chairperson of the Defence Standing Committee and urged to discuss on the excision of Secunderabad Cantonment’s civil areas and merger with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Residents pointed out that over the past decades approximately 4.5 lakh residents of Secunderabad Cantonment have been facing significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, budget, and services. Once it is merged with GHMC, it will bring substantial benefits, including improved infrastructure and services. There has been hope in the upcoming meeting that there would be clarity given on land.

Sanki Ravinder Babu, General Secretary of Cantonment Vikas Manch, said, “Despite of steady progress made by the Defence Secretary and the State government officials, the merger process is taking longer than expected. We hope that this matter will be discussed in the upcoming Defence Standing Committee meeting, which will be held in this month, as the merger will be a significant step towards addressing the long-standing issues faced by its residents.”