Hyderabad: With the Defence Standing Committee meeting just a few days away, there is renewed hope that the long-awaited merger of the civilian areas of Secunderabad Cantonment with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will finally happen.
In preparation for the meeting, several Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) have sent requests to the authorities, asking them to take quick and firm action on the issue.
Recently, the Cantonment Vikas Manch, a group that has been actively pushing for the merger, submitted a letter to Radha Mohan Singh, Chairperson of the Defence Standing Committee. In the letter, they urged the committee to discuss removing Secunderabad Cantonment’s civilian areas from defence control and merging them with GHMC.
Residents say around 4.5 lakh people living in the area have faced many problems over the years, such as poor infrastructure, limited budget, and lack of proper services. They believe that merging with GHMC would improve their living conditions by providing better facilities and services. They also hope the upcoming meeting will provide clarity on land-related issues.
Sanki Ravinder Babu, General Secretary of Cantonment Vikas Manch, said, “Even though the Defence Secretary and State government officials have made some progress, the merger is taking longer than expected. We hope this issue will be discussed in the coming Defence Standing Committee meeting this month. This merger is important to solve the long-standing problems faced by the residents.”
