Union Minister’s claim on Cantonment roads a blatant lie, say residents

Hyderabad: Two or 20? The number of roads closed by the Local Military Authority in the Secunderabad Cantonment is turning out to be a controversy. While Union Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt stated in the Lok Sabha on Friday that only two roads continue to remain closed, fact is that there are over […]

Hyderabad: Two or 20? The number of roads closed by the Local Military Authority in the Secunderabad Cantonment is turning out to be a controversy.

While Union Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt stated in the Lok Sabha on Friday that only two roads continue to remain closed, fact is that there are over 20 roads which are still off limits for the public.

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CS Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad, says the Minister appears to have been given the wrong information. Bhatt’s statement that only one public road and one road on A1 land were still closed was wrong, he says, pointing out that out of 27 roads in the Cantonment area, 21 were still closed.

Though the Defence Ministry and the Army Headquarters had jointly decided and announced in 2018 that all roads would open for the public, the LMA had not adhered to the orders issued in this regard.

“The officials are trying to fool the public. It is clear that the Minister of State was provided incorrect information. We are willing to show the closed roads to the Minister,” Chandrashekhar said.

In fact, the Union Minister’s statement, that only two roads continue to be closed and no new roads were closed after the MoD instructions in 2018, has come as a shocker because it is public knowledge that the people in the Cantonment and IT Minister KT Rama Rao have repeatedly been requesting the Union government to intervene in the matter. Rao had in fact written several times, including in July this year too, asking the Centre to reopen all the roads.

Interestingly, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu himself had taken up the issue with Bhatt in July following Rao’s letter. Bhatt appears to have forgotten that while stating in the House that only two roads were closed.

List of closed roads:

1. Amherst Road (Gen Krishna Rao Road – Hakimpet to RP Nilayam)
2. Cantonment Garden – Rajendra Sinhji Road
3. Holy Trinity Road
4. Burr Road
5. Lake Line Road
6. Richardson Road
7. Yapral Road (Piru Singh Marg)
8. Byam Road (Sundial Circle to Eagle Chowk)
9. Protnee Road (Flagstaff House to Batticaloa Canteen)
10. Ammuguda Road
11. TASA Circle to Rajeev Rahadari
12. Rajendra Sinhji Road (Bison Dwar – Holy Trinity Church)
13. Balaklava Road – Ammuguda Road link
14. FEL Circle – Rajiv Rahadari Road
15. RA Lines Road – Wesley Church road
16. Empress Road (All Saints Rd to Wesley Church)
17. RA Lines Road
18. Mornington Road (RTA Office to AOC Records Office)
19. AOC Records Office – Ordinance Road
20. Service Road under RK Puram Flyover (Not Cantt Road, but closed by LMA)

Open Roads

1. FEL Circle – Lal Bazaar Road
2. Robert Road
3. Shivalayam Road
4. Gough Road
5. Wellington Road
6. Ordinance Road
7. Entrenchment Road

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