Cantonment land requirement revised for Hyderabad elevated corridors

A fresh survey for two elevated corridors through cantonment areas has revealed the need for 2.68 acres of additional Defence land. The variation will require HMDA to pay Rs 13 crore more to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board

Hyderabad: A survey for the construction of two elevated corridors passing through cantonment areas has revealed that the projects require 2.68 acres more of Defence land than had been estimated earlier. This variation would mean the HMDA having to pay Rs 13 crore more to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board for the additional land.

SCB Chief Executive Officer Arvind Kumar Dwivedi, during the Board meeting on Friday, revealed that after a physical survey, a proposal citing the variation was sent to Southern Command, Pune, seeking an amendment to the working permissions.

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SCB officials conducted a joint survey of lands falling under B-3, B-4, C and B-2 categories under cantonment management, specifying the variation.

The Defence Estates Office, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh circle, Secunderabad, then submitted a comprehensive proposal for grant of revised working permission to the HMDA for the construction of elevated corridors on State Highway-1 and National Highway-44 within cantonment limits.

Following approval by the DGDE for amendment of the revised working permission, the Cantonment Board passed a resolution accordingly. As per ground demarcation, a total of 1,21,424.1522 sq metres of land measuring 29.99 acres under the management of the Cantonment Board, Secunderabad, was affected.

Of this, 1,10,156.7392 sq metres, or 27.21 acres, which are classified, were to be transferred to HMDA on an ‘Equivalent Value of Infrastructure’ (EVI) basis, involving an amount of Rs 316.37 crore. The remaining B-3 and B-4 lands, measuring 11,267.413 sq metres or 2.78 acres, were to be transferred to HMDA on an ‘Equivalent Value of Land’ (EVL) basis for the elevated corridors.

The SCB CEO told Telangana Today that HMDA had already transferred Rs 303 crore to an escrow account opened jointly by HMDA and SCB. He said the remaining balance of Rs 13 crore, linked to the land variation found during the survey, would have to be transferred to SCB.

An SCB official said the Cantonment Board resolution was being sent to HMDA, with a copy marked to the Ministry of Defence, seeking transfer of the balance Rs 13 crore.