Secunderabad Cantonment Board
Secunderbad Cantonment Board (Telugu: సికింద్రాబాద్ కంటోన్మెంట్ బోర్డు) (SCB) is the civic administration agency and municipal authority for areas falling under the Secunderabad military cantonment. Though geographically lying in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad and surrounded by areas served by the GHMC, being primarily a military area the Secunderabad cantonment comes under the administrative purview of the union defence ministry of the government of India.
In terms of geographical area and population, the Secunderabad cantonment is said to be the biggest in India and also one of the largest in Asia. The infrastructure management and administration of the civilian areas in the cantonment are looked after by the Board. As per the Cantonment Act of 2006, Secunderabad cantonment is classified as a Class-I cantonment.
The General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) or Deputy GOC of the Indian Army's Telangana & Andhra Sub Area acts as the President of the Board. The executive powers of the Board are vested in the CEO who is an Indian Defence Estates Service officer appointed by the union defence ministry. Half the members on the Board are elected by the civilian population residing in the cantonment in the Board's general elections. The other half comprise the CEO, the Hyderabad district collector and military officers nominated by the Board's President. Though not members on the Board, as per the Cantonment Act the local MP and MLA are treated as special invitees to the Board meetings.
History
The significant presence of the military in the Secunderabad cantonment area can be dated back to the days of the British Raj in the early 1800s. To honour the progress achieved by the British officers stationed at Secunderabad cantonment in Hyderabad, the erstwhile British government established 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for building a Clock Tower in 1860.[1]
Before Indian Independence and Police action in 1948, according to the agreement between the British and the Nizam of Hyderabad, the cantonment was under the control of the British. Later, owing to the huge military presence, the area was brought under the control of the defence ministry. The British Prime Minister during the World War-II Sir Winston Churchill, during his early days in the British Army (c. 1896), was stationed in the Secunderabad cantonment in the Trimulgherry area.
Present Day
The Secunderabad Cantonment Board, informally known as Cantonment is responsible among other things for drinking water, drainage, roads, sewage, garbage disposal, public health, municipal taxes, etc. The main offices are housed in a British-era building near the edge of the Cantonment. The complex also houses a Court and the office of the zonal DCP of the Hyderabad city police.
Potable water is supplied to the residents of the Cantonment on a fixed delivery timeline, once every two or three days based on the locality.
Laying and maintaining of Sewer lines is a function of the SCB and one can often see the workers clearing clogged manholes during a work day.
All house plans need to be approved by the Cantonment before start of any construction activity. House taxes are collected on a yearly basis and the Cantonment sends out bills with amounts due to the residents. The taxes are expected to be paid at the Cantonment main office.
Garbage collection is performed by trucks bearing the name of SCB. In most localities, garbage is cleared on a regular basis either by burning on site or transporting it. However, one can see areas where construction debris is dumped at the Garbage bins on a regular basis. One such location is near the very busy Trimulgherry junction.
References
- ↑ "Time stands still at Clock Tower". The Hindu. 13 February 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
External links
- Secunderabad Cantonment Board Website
- Elections to Cantonment Board - The Hindu
- Illegal Structures: Demolition drive - The Hindu