Overview
- Resident associations submitted representations in Hyderabad on December 30 seeking immediate Secunderabad Cantonment Board elections and a time-bound excision of civilian areas for merger with GHMC.
- Elections were last held on January 11, 2015, and residents note there has been no elected board since 2020, citing a five-year mandate and weakened civic accountability.
- Malkajgiri MP Etala Rajendar met the Defence joint secretary and pressed for polls, governance fixes and dignified housing for long-serving cantonment employees, including Safai Karmacharis from SC and ST communities.
- Advocacy groups say the merger process saw key steps in 2022–2023 and a 2024 teleconference but still lacks a final notification or timeline.
- Sources said the official’s visit also involved discussions on Defence land for local road works, including alternatives at AoC Circle and the SCB elevated corridor.