Armymen cancel plot layout, citizens cry foul in Secunderabad

Hyderabad: Top Army officials who are members of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) have allegedly tampered with minutes of a board meeting regarding building permission given to a layout in Alwal, according to a complaint lodged by elected members.

The row centres around a 17-acre layout on Survey No. 243, said to be a private land in Lothkunta, Bolarum, in the SCB jurisdiction.  It was sold to 30 persons and the Army reportedly wants to revoke all permissions given to the layout.

J. Ramakrishna, member of the 5th ward, said a complaint had been lodged with the principal director, defence estates, Pune; director-general, defence estates, New Delhi and the Union ministry of defence.

The principal director is to meet the ward members next week. Mr Ramakrishna said the 17-acre layout in Ward No. 8 was sanctioned by the SCB four years ago. On June 29, the issue was discussed at a board meeting. However, 12 days later, all the elected ward members were surprised to see that the minutes of the meeting had been altered.

He alleged that the SCB president had included four lines which were never discussed or resolved in the June 29 board meeting. The ward members lodged a complaint, according to which one of the newly added lines was: “The President Cantonment Board has directed the said layout stands to be cancelled and the building plans are revoked.” Ward members deny the matter was discussed at the meeting.

“The Board is not the competent authority to cancel any building plan or layout sanctioned by the Board with immediate effect. There are 30 plot owners who are unable to take up constructions because the Army is raising issues. The Army has filed 12 cases against these individuals in the High Court and in every case these individual plot owners have got relief from the HC and some of the cases are still pending,” a ward member said. Attempts to contact the SCB president were unsuccessful.