Withdraw notices, reopen all closed roads in Secunderabad: FNECS to SCB
Hyderabad: On the last day of submitting objections to notices issued by Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) for permanent closure of six public roads, Federation of Northeastern Colonies of Secunderabad (FNECS) on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of the notices and maintained that such decisions should not be taken in an arbitrary fashion. The members of the […]
Hyderabad: On the last day of submitting objections to notices issued by Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) for permanent closure of six public roads, Federation of Northeastern Colonies of Secunderabad (FNECS) on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of the notices and maintained that such decisions should not be taken in an arbitrary fashion.
The members of the Federation, who have been mobilising support to raise objections on the two notices issued by SCB on closing six main roads in Cantonment, said “The roads have been public roads for over a hundred years. Even the British never closed them. We urge SCB, Defence Estates Department, and Ministry of Defence, to withdraw the notices, and reopen all closed roads in Secunderabad immediately to public”.
The FNECS has also submitted objections, received from various Resident Welfare Associations, traders’ associations, school students, and individuals, to the SCB notices.
Day-389🇮🇳
Today is the last date for submitting the objection against the notices issued by SCB for permanent closure of 6 public roads
We sincerely request all affected citizens to kindly send their emails to bellow mentioned emails Ids by today EOD
Roads in SCB must reopen🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/8kSxFu8dSs— Greensainikpuri (@greensainikpuri) November 15, 2022
“About 12 percent of the city’s population is affected by the closure of 21 roads in Cantonment. There is increase in time taken for travelling, fuel costs and congestion. School children, office workers and the elderly are severely affected. They must not be closed arbitrarily now,” the FNECS said.
The Federation said that closure of thoroughfares, which connect civilian areas, is not a solution to address concerns over security. “Anyone can still access various parts of Cantonment through the remaining open roads. Public have no interest in entering premises along the road. They only want to commute through the cantonment. The solution to increasing security is by improving security within the premises and not closing roads, they said.
At present the Cantonment Board has no elected members as the term of the elected members has elapsed. The Board also has no representative of the state government. The local MP and MLA, who are invitees to Board meetings, are also not part of any deliberations. In this scenario any decision taken to permanently close roads to the detriment of lakhs of citizens, without consultation, debate, and hearing public grievances, is undemocratic, the members of the Federation said.
In the objections to the notices, the Federation said “The six roads mentioned in the Notice are already closed since the last several years. They were not reopened even after clear reopening orders were issued by Ministry of Defence on 21 May 2018. There is no provision in the Law or Rules to ask for objections and suggestions from the public regarding road closure after the roads have been closed”.
In the first Notice it was mentioned that the six roads are being closed. After public hue and cry that the roads are already closed, the Corrigendum was issued. The Corrigendum accepted that the roads are already closed. Why did the Board initially try to present as if the roads are open now? This must be investigated. It throws doubts on the bona fides of the Notices, FNEC members said.
