The Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB) is gearing up for a major change as it plans to merge its civil areas into the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). This move comes after Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane gave the green light for the merger, with the goal of bringing uniformity in municipal laws and administration across the region.
The decision to merge the civil areas was made during a meeting chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, which included officials from nine states, including Maharashtra, on June 25. The CEO of KCB, Meenakshi Lohia, has confirmed that efforts are underway to prepare a comprehensive draft proposal. Discussions with state government officials are set to take place on July 18 to iron out the final details and address any administrative concerns.
Leading the charge in these discussions are Deputy Secretary of Urban Development, Sushila Pawar, and Director of Maharashtra Municipal Administration, Manoj Ranade. Pawar mentioned that proposals for merging other cantonments like Aurangabad and Deolali in Nashik are also being considered. The state government is expected to submit feedback on the Pune and Ahmednagar cantonments to the Ministry of Defence in the next two weeks.
To ensure a smooth transition, district administrations will work closely with the respective cantonments to determine the terms of the merger. This includes integrating cantonment employees into state government services, a process that is expected to take place in the upcoming months.
The Ministry of Defence has made it clear that segregating civil areas from cantonments and integrating them into civic bodies is a strategic decision to ensure consistent application of municipal laws. Military stations will continue to be under the jurisdiction of the armed forces, following directives from the Directorate General of Defence Estates in New Delhi.
As KCB moves forward with its proposal and engages with state authorities, stakeholders are hopeful for a seamless integration of civil areas into PMC. This marks a significant milestone in the journey towards efficient governance and improved service delivery in Pune’s expanded municipal framework.
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com