The Municipal Administration Minister, KT Rama Rao, has stated that it is the central government’s responsibility to merge the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) with GHMC. Despite meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, they have not received a response. The State government and GHMC have prioritized SCB by providing benefits such as a Rs 5 meal and a 20-liter free water scheme. However, their requests for land allocation for the construction of 18.5 km of Skyways and other purposes have been denied by the defence authorities.
The State government has promised to provide 500 acres of land in Shamirpet and is making efforts to secure 1.5 acres of land at Rasoolpura. A preliminary report submitted to the defence ministry suggests that approximately 2,600 acres of civilian land, including residential colonies, bazaars, and leased land, would be transferred to GHMC. However, 5,660 acres of defence land would remain with SCB and the Local Military Authority (LMA). Another committee has recommended the merger of only 16 civilian bazaars with GHMC, while the rest would remain under SCB’s jurisdiction.
