Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) sent a positive report to the state government relating to the merger of the Cantonment Area in the municipal corporation jurisdiction. “We have stated that the CSMC has no objection to the merger. Besides, we have also not placed any conditions before the inclusion of the Cantonment Area,” said the municipal commissioner G Sreekanth.
Earlier, the Government of India decided to merge the 62 Cantonments with the respective municipal corporations. It includes seven Cantonments from Maharashtra. Hence the state government issued letters to all seven municipal corporations seeking their opinion on the issue of merger.
Accordingly, the new civic chief held a meeting to review the services presently provided by CSMC to Aurangabad Cantonment Board. He learnt that the CSMC provides water supply to the Cantonment and distribution of the same is made by the Aurangabad Cantonment Board (ACB).
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Handing over of properties to CSMC
According to sources, the jurisdiction of ACB comprises 1,094 acres which include 967 acres of land under the possession of the Defence Department and the remaining 127 acres of land under the possession of ACB. The population in Cantonment Area is 18,011 and the ACB jurisdiction is divided into seven wards having a strength of more than 10,000 voters.
It is learnt that there are 1358 properties in the ACB jurisdiction. It also includes 66 old bungalows. There are 140 personnel appointed by ACB whose services are confirmed, while the strength of contractual staff is between 100 and 150 personnel.
Every year, the target collection of property tax and water tax is Rs 1.5 crore, out of which, the collection is made of Rs 70 lakh. There are 10-12 roads in the area. After the merger, the properties built in the civil area of the ACB jurisdiction will be handed over to the CSMC, it is learnt.