Pune, 10 July 2025: As municipal elections approach, the longstanding proposal to merge the civilian areas of Pune and Khadki cantonments with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is once again in the spotlight. A high-level meeting on the matter is scheduled for today, in Mumbai under the chairmanship of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Senior civic officials including PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and Additional Commissioner Omprakash Divate are expected to attend.
The discussion over merging cantonment civilian areas into local self-governing municipal bodies has been ongoing in Maharashtra for nearly four years. In 2023, the state government had directed PMC to hold discussions with the cantonment administrations and submit a comprehensive report.
Following this, in December, PMC officials met with the Chief Executive Officers of both the Pune and Khadki Cantonment Boards at the Southern Command Headquarters. The talks focused on key administrative and financial aspects such as population statistics, property details, income and expenditure data, staff strength, salaries, and pensions.
The PMC has since submitted a detailed report to the state government, outlining its position and the practical implications of such a merger. The upcoming meeting in Mumbai is expected to address remaining challenges, especially those concerning the absorption of cantonment staff, differences in pay commission structures, retirement ages, and service terms.
Presently, Pune Cantonment employs 362 individuals and Khadki has 345, all governed by central service rules, unlike PMC employees who follow state rules.
Beyond staffing concerns, the merger also involves logistical hurdles such as the management of strategic roads used by the Army, integration of water supply and sewerage infrastructure in protected zones, and issues of land use and zoning. While Thursday's meeting could signal significant progress, experts believe that a final decision will require alignment between the state and the Ministry of Defence at the central level.
Politically, the merger carries considerable weight. Local MLAs and corporators have long demanded the integration, arguing that residents in cantonment areas face service gaps and administrative overlaps. If the merger is finalized before the civic polls, it could lead to redrawing of ward boundaries, especially in areas like Bhavani Peth and Dhole Patil Road, thereby expanding PMC’s jurisdiction and altering the voter base.
With the Supreme Court recently directing the state to conduct overdue municipal elections, the issue has regained urgency, and any definitive announcement could significantly influence the pre-election landscape.
