Chaos at SCB meeting over delay in reopening cantonment roads

Hyderabad: The delay by the Local Military Authorities (LMA) in re-opening the closed cantonment roads rocked the Secunderabad Cantonment Board meeting held on Thursday. While the elected ward members questioned the LMA on the time frame to reopen all roads, a crowd gathered outside the town hall to protest the delay in opening all the cantonment roads.

The president of the Cantonment Board Brig. M. D. Upadhyay refused to take any questions regarding the roads issue saying he was not the competent authority to answer. He said he would forward the Board approved proposal to the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE).

Malla Reddy, Member of Parliament, who was present at the board meeting, pointed out to the LMA that “while closing roads, you were quick, then why this delay in reopening? Orders are orders and they must be followed.”

Secunderabad Cantonment Board vice president J Rama Krishna, while speaking about the situation of the roads to the SCB President, D. Upadhyay said, “The roads have been used by people for centuries, now that the orders have come from the ministry of defence, they must be followed. Permanent structures should be removed and morning walkers should not be stopped.” The Board passed the proposal of opening all the roads in SCB according to the MoD orders, but no immediate action or deadline was fixed for opening all the roads in the cantonment.

Meanwhile, Congress party members staged a dharna in front of the SCB office, demanding reopening of all the roads.