Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday ruled that the General Officer Commanding of Andhra Sub-Area is the competent authority to impose restrictions on civilian movement on nine roads within the Secunderabad Cantonment limits. While upholding the power of the authority, Justice P. Naveen Rao observed that, “Subject to security concerns and training schedules, it is open for the GOC to allow civilian traffic till an alternative road network is developed”.
The judge directed that the Hyderabad district collector and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation shall place the report on expansion and strengthening the alternative routes, before the court within two months. The judge also directed the civic authorities to make full-fledged arrangements expeditiously for an alternative road network so that civilians need not use the roads belonging to the Army in Secunderabad Cantonment area and the Army officers are free to regulate traffic, keeping in view security needs, till then.
The judge was dismissing a PIL and batch of writ petitions against the decision of the Army in restricting the civilian traffic on major roads from S.P. Road/East Marredpally towards Allahabad Gate (Entrancement Road), from Secunderabad Club, Picket/West Marredpally towards Wellington Enclave (Wellington Road), from Safilguda junction towards Safilguda railway crossing (Ordnance Road) and Trimulgherry Hanuman temple to Gough Road (Mornington Road) and Kendriya Vidyalaya crossing to East/West Marredpally.
(Gough Road).
The judge said that conscious of the difficulties of commuters the Army authorities imposed the restriction in a phased manner and as such it is not to be held as arbitrary. The judge observed that, “It is necessary for the civil administration to rise to the occasion and take immediate measures so that civilians are not put to inconveniences and hardships in using the alternative roads that are available. The Army had decided to impose restrictions from March 2014 and the court granted a stay on the decision and now the judge has vacated the stay.
