Living on defence land for generations, Secunderabad Cantonment residents seek freehold titles
Residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment are petitioning NITI Aayog for freehold land titles to gain legal ownership of their homes. The NGO Cantonment Vikas Manch argues that current restrictions prevent necessary property repairs and hinder the development of civilian areas.
Why it matters
This highlights a long-standing conflict between military land management and the rights of civilian populations living within cantonment zones in India.
For generations, lakhs of civilians have resided in pockets within the Secunderabad Cantonment designated as defence land, many without formal ownership rights over the properties they occupy. Now, the Cantonment Vikas Manch, an NGO based in the Cantonment, has urged NITI Aayog to recommend granting these residents freehold ownership and official property titles over the land they occupy.
In a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his capacity as Chairman of NITI Aayog, the NGO said civilian families had been living in pockets designated as defence land for decades. It stated that some of these families have also served the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) and the Indian Army establishments.
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