The long-pending merger of Secunderabad Cantonment with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is under judicial review. The Ministry of Defence told Rajya Sabha on Monday, February 9, 2026, that civil areas in some cantonments, including Secunderabad, are to be merged with state municipalities. But courts in Delhi, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh are still hearing the cases. MP Mahender Bhatt raised the issue, and Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, responded, "The Centre has decided in principle to excise civil areas from select Cantonments and merge them with adjoining State municipalities." He added that elections to Cantonment boards were not held because the merger affects their governance. In Telangana, the case directly concerns the Secunderabad Cantonment Board. Locals and legislators want the merger, saying the cantonment system limits development. Recently, MLA Sri Ganesh Narayanan staged a hunger strike demanding a speedy merger. On concerns about delayed elections affecting funding, Minister Seth said 29 cantonment boards received Central Finance Commission grants this year. Only those in Uttarakhand reported issues with funds due to election delays. The government is working with Uttarakhand to resolve this. The merger issue remains a hot topic as residents await progress to boost development and governance.