Hyderabad: In the first property exchange of its kind, the Army is handing over a piece of land belonging to the pension office at Banjara Hills to the GHMC. The corporation intends to construct a free left on the road adjacent to the pension office at Banjara Hills.
It is unclear if the Army will ask for compensation for land or cash; the land is estimated to cost crores of rupees. “There are repeated complaints about traffic snarls as there is no free left. The GHMC will take over the Banjara hills pension office land which is owned by the Army and construct a slip road,” a GHMC official said.
This office is located between Roads 1 and 12 of Banjara Hills, behind the Ganesh temple. Elsewhere, the GHMC and Ar-my officials have begun identifying alternative roads in view of a closure of main roads in the Secunderabad Cantonment.
The roads which were identified earlier have been sent to the government and a decision is aw-aited. That apart, the survey for the 1.7-km road, along with civic issues like pollution at Rambu-tan lake, underpass works at Neredmet and removal of unauthorised encro-achments will be part of the agenda when GHMC and Army officers meet, said an official.
The alternative roads proposed by the GHMC — once the AOC roads are closed for civilians — fro-m Safilguda railway gate to Allahabad Gate (East Marredpally) and Rama-krishnapuram to Safilguda. These were recently approved by minister K.T. Rama Rao and the proposal sent to the Centre for a final nod.
1,500 protest closure of roads in Cantonment
Over 1,500 residents, including children, from 37 colonies in Yapral, Ba-lajinagar, Kowkoor, Bo-larum, Alwal, AS Rao Na-gar, Sainikpuri and Neredmet, took to the streets to protest the the closure of roads in the Army area, and lack of alternatives for residents in the northeast limits of the Cantonment. The residents said that the Army should either keep all roads open, or propose alternative roads to their colonies.
The candlelight protest received support from overseas too: Residents who are abroad showed support by sending their pictures holding placards against the closure of roads. The traders association and industrial staff joined the protest whichw as held under the ‘Green Sainikpuri’ banner. This is the second time that residents are holding such a protest.
The march began from AS Rao Nagar railway reservation office and ended at Neerdmet crossro-ads. The two alternative routes sanctioned by the state government are from Safilguda to Allahabad Gate 2 (East Marredpally) and Ramakrishnapuram to Safilguda gate. But th-ese roads will not solve the problem of the SCB’s nort-heast colonies, a resident said.
The protesteres questioned the absence of plans to build alternative roads to their areas as ordered by the High Court. Mr C.S. Chandra Shek-ar of Sainikpuri said. “Almost 15 roads in the Golf Course area, EME Centre and AOC Circle have been closed. These roads which have been in use for a hundred years.”
He said access to the Lakdawala bus stop opposite the Ayyappa temple, Rajiv Rahadari, schools and institutions such as St Anns, Loyola Academy and Government Hospital at Alwal had become more difficult.
“Residents of Malkajgiri, Neredmet, and AS Rao Nagar to Radhika wi-ll benefit (from the alternative roads), but what about those affected right from Hakimpet,” said Ms K. Madhavi. who took part in the protest.
