CANTONMENT LAWS

The Cantonment means permanent military station where troops are regularly quatered. The municipal administration is basically different from routine administration.

      The Cantonments Act, 1924 provides for the administration of Cantonments. The Act, for the first time, allowed representation of the civil population in the administration of the Cantonment. Amendments to the Act made time to time have been incorporated in the book.

     The existence and the growth of a large population inside the Cantonments necessitate the organisation of local self-government institutions side by side with different kinds of control. The Government of a large civil population involves civic responsibilities. A balance had to be struck between the interest of the Armed Forces from health, welfare and security point of view and the aspirations of the local population for participation in the administration of the cantonments.

     The act further deals with Rules and bye-laws and supplemental provisions. Schedules have also been appended regarding procedure with respect to various matters. In this way the book is exhaustive and self-contained.

     The planning of the Act can be categorised under different heads. In the beginning is deals with definitions of the words and phrases used in the Act, delimitation and operation. It further deals with constitution of Board, its office bearers, their eligibility, term, duties, method of election, its procedure and control along with the business of the Board.