Excising exercise: Defence authorities likely to retain key commercial areas in Kasauli Cantt

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 7

Key commercial areas in the Kasauli Cantonment area are proposed to be retained by the defence authorities in the ongoing excising exercise while civilian areas will be merged with nearby panchayats.

The defence authorities are not keen to give the general market area to the state government as it adjoins the defence land and comprises key areas like a helipad and other security installations. They fear that there could be a security threat if multi-storey constructions are carried out in the market area after it is handed over to the government. Locals, however, are keen that the area is handed over to the government.

Out of the total 688 acres in Kasauli Cantonment, the notified civil area (NCA) comprises 43.5 acres. The defence authorities have proposed to give 34 acres of this NCA to the state government. The balance 9.5 acre comprises constructed area, vacant land and heritage market, which yields revenue of Rs 2.5 crore annually to the defence authorities. The state government will, however, be able to collect about Rs 50 lakh as house tax. This would be its sole commercial gain after merging certain NCAs into the nearby panchayats.

There are six notified civilian pockets like Sadar Bazaar, market bazaar, Mashobra, Slaughter House, Ettawa and Nahari lying in the Kasauli cantonment. Out of these pockets, certain vacant land of Sadar Bazaar and Slaughter House area are proposed to be retained by the defence authorities while other areas are proposed to be excised.

A multi-crore parking lot constructed few years ago would also remain the property of the defence authorities as per the proposed plan.

Kasauli SDM Narayan Chauhan, who was part of the committee which was working out the modalities of this exercise on behalf of the state government, said: “A request is being made to the defence authorities to grant the parking lot located at the bus stand and the main market area to the state government on demand of the residents”

He added that a proposal would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner soon for further approval by the state government, following which it would be submitted to the Ministry of Defence, which would finalise the excising exercise. Facing a slew of problems like lack of benefit of central and state government schemes, this exercise was being keenly awaited by the civilians.

A joint inspection has already been conducted into the cantonment town where representatives of the locals also expressed their concerns and demands.

Fear security threat

• The defence authorities are not keen to give the general market area to the state government as it adjoins the defence land and comprises key areas like helipad and other security installations
• The authorities fear that there could be a security threat in case multi-storey constructions are carried out in the market area after handing over the area to the state government
• The locals were, however, keen to merge this area with the state government
• A multi-crore parking lot constructed few years ago would also remain the property of the defence authorities as per the proposed plan

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