SCB merger plea will be taken up with CM: KTR
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said the appeals by residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area to merge the cantonment limits with GHMC would be taken up with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Apart from administrative and coordination issues between SCB and State government, other factors were compelling residents […]
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said the appeals by residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area to merge the cantonment limits with GHMC would be taken up with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
Apart from administrative and coordination issues between SCB and State government, other factors were compelling residents to demand merger with GHMC, he said, addressing media persons here.
“The State government has been implementing TS-bPASS for immediate building permission approvals and setting up Annapurna centres offering quality food to the needy but such welfare programmes cannot be implemented in SCB,” he pointed out.
Further, the SCB authorities arbitrarily closed nearly 40 roads, subjecting residents to a lot of hardships, the Minister said, adding that despite Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other officials taking up the issue with the Local Military Authority (LMA), there was no relief for residents.
“For the past seven years, the State government has been appealing to the Central government on different development projects like constructing skywalks and other issues but there has been no response,” Rama Rao said. “This is even after the State government expressed its willingness to offer land for the projects,” he said.
The Minister said he had sought people’s opinion on the issue through Twitter after he read reports in a section of the media regarding SCB residents’ requests to merge Cantonment limits with GHMC a few days ago. “Over 75 per cent of people favoured merger of Cantonment limits with GHMC. This matter will be brought to the notice of the Chief Minister,” Rama Rao said.
2BHKs for families affected under nala development drive
The State government will adopt a three-pronged approach to take up nala widening and development programme to ensure free flow of rainwater and to avoid flooding in the city.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said all avenues were being explored to allot double bedroom houses to eligible persons affected under the nala development programme.
“The idea is to provide rehabilitation to the affected people and construct retaining walls immediately in the nalas, failing which encroachments would persist,” he said, addressing the media here on Thursday. Stating that about 70,000 double bedroom houses were ready for occupation in the city, he said each house was constructed at a cost of Rs 9 lakh and the market value of each house was about Rs 50 lakh. “However, the move to allot 2 BHK houses for those affected under nala works would need Cabinet approval,” the Minister said.
The State government had sanctioned Rs 855 crore for Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) and works had already commenced in some places. GHMC Zonal Commissioners have already completed a detailed survey of the structures, including the extent of area under encroachment, type of construction that was constructed on the nalas.
To clear such structures, measures will have to be taken to ensure there are no legal issues and taking local people into confidence was important. “A meeting with elected public representatives and city MLAs would be held soon. GHMC Corporators opinions will also be sought during the council meeting,” the Minister said, adding: “Government alone cannot complete such tasks. People’s support is required and I appeal to Hyderabadis to extend their support.”
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