Speed up transfer of defence land, Telangana asks Rajnath
Infrastructure and connectivity projects are dependent on the defence land handover
Hyderabad: The state government has urged the Centre to clear user charges arrears of nearly Rs 1,000 crore pertaining to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB), speed up the transfer of defence lands in the city to the state government for construction of flyovers, elevated corridors, and conduct long-pending elections to the SCB.
Hyderabad in-charge minister Ponnam Prabhakar met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in the city on Friday and submitted a detailed representation on these issues. Rajnath Singh was in Hyderabad on Friday to attend Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Connect 2025 at Hitex.
In his memorandum, Prabhakar thanked the defence ministry for transferring certain defence land parcels in Hyderabad for public purposes, saying the step would go a long way in meeting critical infrastructure needs and improving civic amenities for residents of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
He requested the defence minister to expedite the process of handing over these land parcels as they were essential for constructing elevated corridors, flyovers and other ongoing mobility projects aimed at easing traffic and improving connectivity.
The minister stated that about Rs 1,000 crore in user charges was pending from the SCB to the Telangana government. Timely clearance of these dues, he said, would help the state maintain and upgrade public infrastructure and services in areas that overlap with defence jurisdictions.
Prabhakar also highlighted that elections to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board had not been held for several years, leaving residents without elected local leadership. He urged the Centre to take immediate steps to conduct the polls to restore democratic governance and ensure better local administration.
