Secunderabad Cantonment Board

Secunderbad Cantonment Board (Telugu: సికింద్రాబాద్ కంటోన్మెంట్ బోర్డు) (SCB) is the civic administration agency and municipal authority for areas falling under the Secunderabad military cantonment. Though geographically lying in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad and surrounded by areas served by the GHMC, being primarily a military area the Secunderabad cantonment comes under the administrative purview of the union defence ministry of the government of India.

In terms of geographical area and population, the Secunderabad cantonment is said to be the biggest in India and also one of the largest in Asia. The infrastructure management and administration of the civilian areas in the cantonment are looked after by the Board. As per the Cantonment Act of 2006, Secunderabad cantonment is classified as a Class-I cantonment.

The General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) or Deputy GOC of the Indian Army's Telangana & Andhra Sub Area acts as the President of the Board. The executive powers of the Board are vested in the CEO who is an Indian Defence Estates Service officer appointed by the union defence ministry. Half the members on the Board are elected by the civilian population residing in the cantonment in the Board's general elections. The other half comprise the CEO, the Hyderabad district collector and military officers nominated by the Board's President. Though not members on the Board, as per the Cantonment Act the local MP and MLA are treated as special invitees to the Board meetings.

The significant presence of the military in the Secunderabad cantonment area can be dated back to the days of the British Raj in the early 1800s. To honour the progress achieved by the British officers stationed at Secunderabad cantonment in Hyderabad, the erstwhile British government established 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for building a Clock Tower in 1860.

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