Centre continuing to ignore Telangana’s requests for Defence lands, says KTR

Centre is continuing to ignore Telangana's repeated request for defence lands for projects to ease traffic congestion in the city

Hyderabad: The Centre is continuing to ignore Telangana’s repeated request for defence lands for projects to ease traffic congestion in the city, MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao said.

The State government had proposed a skyway from Patny Centre to Suchitra Junction on the Nizamabad-Nagpur Highway.

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Several requests and representations were made to the Centre for allocating defence lands, but nothing was done yet, he said during Question Hour in the Assembly on Thursday.

“The union government is not coordinating and supporting the projects, which are being planned for the benefit of people. It is not wise on the part of the BJP government to discriminate towards Telangana,” said Rama Rao, pointing out that over the last eight years, the issue was taken up with successive Defence Ministers, from Arun Jaitley, Manohar Parikar to Sushma Swaraj and from Nirmala Sitaraman to Rajnath Singh, but none of them were ready to help the Telangana government, he said.

We can also create issues. Defence lands in Hyderabad have not been alienated by the State government. “We can take up legal fights and create difficulties. But it is a matter of national security and it is not our culture to disrespect them. Infact, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao holds them with high respect,” Rama Rao said.

“Though the union government is acting with political vendetta, we have been appealing with all respect and will continue to appeal. At least now, they should come forward and allocate the lands,” he said.

Law for relocation of religious structures

The Minister later said possibilities would be explored to enact a law for relocation of religious structures obstructing traffic flow on major thoroughfares.

“No God will like to stay in the dust and traffic and devotees will also not like it,” Rama Rao said. When Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat, a law was enacted and the same would be examined and presented before the Assembly for discussion, he added.