Pune Cantonment CB to transfer 2,438 old grant properties, 362 staff to state govt

The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has proposed transferring 2,438 old grant properties spread over 95.31 acres in the notified civil area to the Maharashtra state government in its report to the chief secretary of Maharashtra related to the excision of the notified cantonment civil area. As a part of this transfer, the cantonment administration aims to move 362 out of its total staff of 604 to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

According to the reports, the estimated annual liabilities include Rs 32.40 crore towards pay structure, Rs 10.62 crore for Seventh Pay Commission arrears, and approximately Rs 5.43 crore of other miscellaneous liabilities.

As per the Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), 362 of the 604 staff of the board administration have been proposed to be transferred, wherein the services of cantonment board employees and their service conditions shall be protected post-excision of civil areas of the cantonment.

The proposed modalities for excision in the civil area of the cantonment outline that all properties, assets, and liabilities within the excised area will be transferred to the state government at no cost. The proprietary rights of the cantonment board in the excised area will be transferred to the state municipality, subject to the condition that ownership over vacant lands will be retained by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The state government reserves the right to allocate transferred lands between itself and the municipality as deemed necessary. In the case of any land transactions by the state government, 50 per cent of the income derived will be paid to the Government of India, with the remaining financial benefits to be utilized exclusively for the benefit of the excised area.

Furthermore, the transferred properties will first be utilized to settle any liabilities of the cantonment board concerning the excised area, with any remaining resources to be used for the benefit of the area’s inhabitants.

Certain areas designated by the Government of India will be kept free from construction by the state municipality, and any change in land use will require prior approval from the army authorities due to security concerns.