Promise of merger or 5-year-plan for development will win our vote: Cantt. residents

Hyderabad: The long-standing issue of merging the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) with the GHMC and the development of the Cantonment were the primary poll issues, said residents.

Neha Verma, who stays in Ward 4 of the SCB, said she and her neighbours are hopeful that the BRS would finally address the merger issue and take steps to improve the living conditions. "That is no tall promise or task. We want to see action and not play a blame game between the Centre and the state," she said.

A Bowenpally resident, Ramesh Khanna, said it was disheartening to see that their concerns had been brushed aside for long. "We will back the party or candidate that would champion the cause of SCB's development. Silence on this matter is a clear indication that they don't prioritise our well-being," he told Deccan Chronicle.

BRS leader J. Maheshwar Reddy, a former SCB vice-president, said, "We've done all we can to push for the SCB merger and development. While it might not be explicitly mentioned in our manifesto, we remain committed to finding a solution that benefits SCB residents."

The BJP’s Rama Krishna J. remarked, "The BRS has never treated the SCB as its own from the beginning. They have consistently neglected the interests of SCB residents, and this omission in the manifesto further emphasises their indifference.

The defence ministry has done away with toll tax, allocated funds, and repaired and reopened several roads. We will continue to bring many more missions and schemes at the Centre, who people will vote for in November will reveal what they really want."

With the elections just around the corner, SCB resident Amarnath K., said, "We will no longer fall into the trap of empty promises or voting for people because we know them or because they've asked for our vote — we need someone who will come to us with not just promises but plans and projects too.”